Conflicted Opportunity
by RICHRDxJHNxGRYSN
Summary: A conflicting set of emotions spark between Richard Grayson and Kori Anders... in a cemetery? Will their strange circumstance of meeting become something more? Or will the details of their lives complicate things? DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE TEEN TITANS, JUST THIS STORYLINE
1. Cemetery Lane

**Chapter One: Cemetery Lane**

It was a night of encompassed tragedy and fear; one the world had been exposed to on numerous occasions and it would be this very night which would spark a meeting of chance to conspire. For in an eerie section of Gotham City, tucked away within the confines of a forest like perimeter remained a cemetery. The earth beneath the lush grass, blanketed by a thick layer of frost were the preserved lives, memories, overall existence of those once lost to the battle of breath. It was a place of misery, loss; a place meant to reconnect and allow those to remember past loved ones; a place of pain where shed tears soaked and stained the ground beneath them, but more importantly, it was a place of silence.

Towering metal gates surrounded the furthest surrounding limits of said cemetery as if to divide and act as a barrier between the life of the living and the resting place of the deceased. The day was not like any other and had brought more funerals than just one; merely adding to the numerous alignment of pillars constructed of thick granite headstones which were plotted in perfect sequence, and tomorrow cried with chance of continuing the growth of those who remained here. And yet, tonight brought more silence then usual due to the relentless falling snow which had picked up an hour previous which in any event had filtered the number of visitors on such a cold dreary night. Although, that did not mean there were none.

As of now, standing in a hesitant slouch remained a young woman. She lingered before the large, intimidating cemetery entrance, her tear-stained emerald eyes peeked out beneath her elegant black hat, mimicking the snow in silence as they peered at her surroundings through the metal barred gates. How long she had been there contemplating her decision on whether or not to enter... she didn't know. Draped in a traditional attire of black her chilled skin, tight against the lack of shield her dress offered trembled against the nights dreadfully harsh weather, her mind frozen to any prolonged amount of thought.

Turning a black heel which vanished once more as she plunged it back into the thick layer of snow beneath her feet she made her way back to her car on the premise that she had decided against her initial ridiculous plan to venture here helplessly in the first place. Reaching her car her hand came to a pause as it curled around the handle, her mind coming alert to the crunching footsteps which grew louder behind her. Her swollen eyes involuntarily turned, another tortured sole, much like herself, exited the cemetery gates which slammed behind him in a loud, vibrating bang. She swallowed hard feeling somewhat odd at her inability to look away. The gentleman's dark eyes snapped to hers and with a weak closed-mouthed smile he gave her a brief nod and continued his way to his car.

With this the woman's eyes settled on the tall gates once more and after a moment of thought her mind suddenly became alert; her decision to leave inevitably changing. Removing her hand from the car she paused long enough to notice the slim bottle of liquor that stared back at her from the passenger seat as if coaxing her not to dismiss its certain ability to soften her pain; or at least she felt this way. With a deep inhale she quickly retrieved the bottle and found herself once again staring up at the entrance of the cemetery.

Sparing no opportune time for her mind to come crashing down on the courage she had managed to muster in this moment she tucked the bottle beneath her arm and leaned into the gate. Her pale hands met frozen metal as she coaxed the enormous latch up and quickly wedged herself through the opening. Once on the other side, the gate falling shut with a loud vibration once more, it was now that antagonizing consistent tension in her chest returned. She didn't want to be here but she knew she had to be; it was the least she could do after what happened.

Her vacant eyes skimmed through the gloomy sea of headstones before her, the sight only deepening her depression. This place may have been fairly new to her but she had been here before and only needed the luminescent glow of the full moon which dominated in a hover above dark, ominous clouds to find her way.

She walked, her uneasy footing carrying her for a long while, ignoring the continuation of the powdered snow that fell all around her, clinging to every object in sight. Eventually, her mind came to a halt, her body following suit as her vision focused on a particular gravestone only feet from her presence now. Her eyes blinked lifelessly, a feeling of denial engulfing her.

She knew there was nothing anyone could do to change what had happened; to return the life of her loved one and yet, her mind could not grasp the reality of such a loss. The proof, she knew, was right before her eyes taunting back at her unapologetically; not even her tears could ease such uncertainty.

For a long while she just lingered, her body sitting emotionless among the frost beneath her. The bottle of liquor half gone now as she just stared back at the engraved name, as if by some miracle, with time, it would somehow suddenly change. The truth? The name should have been her own and she knew all too well this death was meant for her, which didn't exactly make any part of this situation any less difficult. No, the cold, unflinching emotion that darkened her heart only deepened with each passing second; heightening in an unbearable confirmation of guilt and deceit, her body responding in a lifeless daze and emotionless exterior while on the inside her ever nerve was screeching in agony.

There was a brief disturbance in the silence around her resembling that of an undesired presence. Separating herself from her own thoughts she glanced around slowly undeniably unsure whether or not admittance to the cemetery at this hour was even permitted. But as no one came into view she carelessly lifted the liquor bottle to her lips.

"Excuse me..." Came a calm yet strong voice dripping with concern.

The woman lowered the bottle from her mouth, a tall dark-haired man standing beside her now, his piercing blue eyes focused down on her. In no mood to acknowledge the stranger nor did she have any interest in what he could possibly say, she returned her attention to the gravestone. A sudden sense of annoyance settled over her as he spoke again.

"I... I'm sorry to interrupt but... are you alright?" There was a moment of silence between the two as he waited for a reply that was destined to be ignored. The man hesitated taking notice of the woman's desperate hand which clung tightly around a bottle. "Look... I realize this is none of my business but you could really get sick staying out here like this."

When the man remained firm in his expectation of a reply the woman sighed. Her gaze looked up at the full moon, her hat the only thing shielding her face from the merciless snow. When her voice sounded, the man suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest; her words were shaken, lifeless and drained.

"Do you ever feel like nothing is ever going to get better? That... that your entire life is just this big twisted mess destined to do nothing more then tear you down?" She sighed. "Your welcomed with deceit, hate, judgement and eventually... after so much you just..." She paused looking up to him, tears flooding her vision. "... and you find yourself wondering, questioning, whether your existence is even worth it?" She shrugged helplessly, the man's crystalline eyes staring back at her in worry. "... if it wouldn't just be easier to ... let go?" As she said this his jaw involuntarily tightened in hesitancy, no words forming while her eyes wandered back to the grave with a slight laugh. "Not my sister. She would always tell me the blunt truth no matter how ugly it was, and she was right... this life only gets harder."

The women felt sudden surprise as the stranger sat beside her with a heavy sigh, his arms resting over his angled knees. "I take it this is your sister?"

"Komi..." She looked to him with a smile, finding herself suddenly drawn to conversation with him; something that was not to be considered normal since her sisters passing. "What's your name?"

"Richard."

"I'm Kori." Another brief pause took to life, the only sound between them was the falling of snow. "So who brought you here?"

"What?" He asked, slightly confused.

"I take it you don't just hang out in cemeteries in the middle of a snowy night if no one was here waiting for you."

"Right ummm..."

With his hesitation and the obvious discomfort which settled over his features, Kori shrugged one shoulder. "It's alright. I understand if you don't want to talk about it. To be honest I'm surprised I told you as much as I did."

Richard inhaled deeply, the fact being that he would have preferred not discussing why he was here but he couldn't deny the fact she had opened up to him and for some reason he felt comfortable with her. It was obvious, to him, that this was a result of the look in her eyes, her gentle voice which drew him into revealing his past.

"Uh... no its fine. I'm here because of my... parents."

"Both of them?" She said with a small slur. When he nodded in confirmation she shook her head. "I'm sorry. How long have they..." She fell short of words, the reality being she wasn't exactly comfortable with speaking terms of death and wasn't sure it would offend him or not. So, she remained quiet, focused on his dark burrowed brows.

"Eleven years." He glanced up at the tombstone, noticing the recent date engraved beneath her sisters' name. "I can see you've only begun the grieving process?" He gave her a comforting, understanding smile. "I'm sorry."

Kori nodded, pressing her lips inward in an attempt to hold back her urge to weep. "Yea... the funeral was this morning. It doesn't really even seem real. I can't... I just..." Her right hand moved rapidly before her as she strived for the proper explanation of her feelings, tears slowly leaking with the presence of Richard's hand upon her back sympathetically. "... Its like I can still feel her here. Her life... her warmth,... its all still here; everywhere."

Consumed in pure thought Richard hesitated then after brief contemplation he took to his feet. His body remained at an angle to her as he lowered a hand down to her. "Sitting in the snow and trying to drink away the sorrow you feel... it isn't going to help, believe me."

Kori's attention moved back and forth between those electric blue eyes of his which held such warmth and his moonlit hand. "I'm fine. Thank you though."

He leaned his body forward in a very persistent manner, leaving his hand only inches from her. "Please, I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving you alone like this. All I'm offering is casual conversation over a cup of coffee. That simple... that innocent."

**(A/N) So this is my first story and I'm not entirely sure I'll be continuing. I suppose it depends on what you all think. Your reviews will be appreciated.**


	2. Twist Of Fate

**Chapter Two: Twist Of Fate**

Cafe:

Richard stood, his mind racing as he lingered in a short line to purchase two warm coffee's. Unable to draw his attention from Kori, who sat in the corner of the café in complete silence, the mere sight of her was breathtaking. His sight trailed up and down her fragile, distraught figure with an immediate interest for her which was far more intense than he would have liked. Her drenched dark clothing from head to toe clung to her pale skin and mirrored that of an angel of death. The beauty of her features as she removed her dark hat brought to life a strong emotion in him. She had vibrant, rich crimson hair tucked tightly in a bun, a few strands falling to frame her woebegone features. The radiant hue of her large, jade eyes stood out ever more at the curtain of bangs highlighted them in contrasting sharpness; a sight Richard suddenly felt immobilized by.

After retrieving two coffee's he slowly made his way with uneven steps toward her. Somehow the short path to return to her had become somewhat drawn out in his mind.

"Here." He said softly, passing one of the coffee's to her and joining the table in the seat across from her. To imagine what she could be thinking, or even what he himself was truly thinking was inexplicably lost to explanation. Watching her with a keen eye, the thought of how odd this entire situation must be for her, let alone for him, seemed to result in a pause between them. It was a strange occurrence the moment his eyes met hers, instantly stopping the obnoxious amount of thoughts and hesitation that once consumed his mind. The reality, he knew this was something he never did and even if it was, the constant vibration of his phone within his right pocket confirmed that he shouldn't be doing this. Again, it was those helpless eyes that stared back at him that made logic fade.

"Shit..." she muttered, a hand pressed against her lips with a slight giggle. She looked up at Richard with an embarrassed glance. "Its much hotter than I anticipated."

He smiled. "Feeling better?"

She lowered the cup of coffee down on the table giving herself a moment to consider his question. Her thoughts seemed suddenly calmed, not fully but she felt somewhat free of her own crazed life, if only for a moment and she knew it was only as a result of his presence. These past few weeks had been met with a disturbing silence at the arrival of her sisters passing and why she was able to be comfortable in this moment, a stranger met in the middle of the night, it seemed odd to her; not that she was questioning it. "Yea... I think so. Thanks."

There was a prolonged hesitation between them, their eyes focused on one another's in an exchange of intense observation; each making an attempt to remember this very moment and the emotions that came along with it. Kori found herself basking in the cool pools of ocean water that stared back at her, him doing the same, feeling completely in tune with the agony she was enduring with the passing of a loved one. He had been there, knew exactly how she felt, precisely what concerns and pain she was dealing with and he wanted nothing more than to comfort her; draw her into his arms and make her believe that she was not alone in all of this.

It was only as a Kori's gaze faltered, receding nervously to the table before her, her hand tracing the brim of her coffee cup with a slight blush of her cheeks that snapped him out of his daze. Clearing his throat he leaned back in his chair, trying to return to his usual confident composure. "So... did you want to talk about her? Or..."

"No." She responded quickly. "I just... thank you but, I'd rather just enjoy this distraction. Believe me, my mind will have plenty of time to grieve over my sister. Right now..." she gave him a pleading smile. "... I'd just like to enjoy a little break from my life."

"Its hard, I understand." A thought crossed his mind and he was unable to stop himself before drawing attention to it. "Did you mean what you said back at the cemetery? Is that really how you feel about yourself?"

Thinking back to their brief conversation Kori quickly became uneasy. "No... I mean, maybe, sometimes I suppose; like tonight. But... I'm not suicidal if that's what you're thinking. I'm just feeling a little hopeless right now." Her eyes narrowed over his in judgement. "Is that why you felt obligated to bring me here? You think I was going to try to kill myself?"

He shrugged. "I don't know what I thought but I felt no obligation what so ever. I only wanted to make sure you were alright. I've been where you are, which I know your probably tired of people saying so but ... I do." As her eyes remained in judgement, he shook his head. "Look, I'm not judging you. When I saw you sitting out there in the snow it reminded me of when I lost my parents and how vulnerable I felt, and how demented and cruel the world suddenly seemed. I just wanted to show you that you weren't alone in all of this."

"And did someone, those eleven years ago, help you the way you did me tonight?"

He chuckled. "No... which is why I wasn't entirely sure you would allow me the chance to be here for you." A smirk tugged at his lips and he could feel a heat rise in his cheeks at the presence of her endearing smile which caused him to look away nervously. "How long were you planning on staying out there anyway?"

A heavy sigh slipped passed her lips and she leaned an arm on the table, her chin fixed down on her palm. "I don't know. I hadn't really thought that far ahead... and look, the entire night is proving to be very eventful." With another laugh from him, Kori came to the realization that she was becoming far too drawn to his charming presence, the toll this truth took on her resulted in a loss of clear thoughts. She couldn't explain it nor did she understand it. He just... captivated her in a way she had not thought possible especially not so suddenly. "Uh..." Straightening her posture, her hands fell whim to incessant fidgeting within her lap. "So... what do you... do?"

"Well, that was... unexpected." He chuckled.

"You don't have to answer I just... well, I didn't really... I mean... I didn't know what to say next or..."

Her stammering was present with a slight slur which only made Richard find more humor in this scene; her adorable fidgeting and nervousness becoming contagious to him. "No, its fine. We're strangers, conversation should be a little... forced I guess. Well... what do I do... lets see." The mere reference of any situation from his normal life greeted his mind with unbearable stress. In reality, this night was just as much a distraction from his life as it was clearly for her. He forced a hand through his matted ebony spiked hair and sighed, searching for the proper words in order to avoid the bombshell that he was none other than Dick Grayson, famous playboy and millionaire, himself. A fact he was hoping to avoid. It was far too obvious she had no idea who he was and this brought comfort to him; for once he didn't have to be anyone other than himself, without judgement and he was enjoying it. "I actually work at Wayne Enterprises."

Her eyes widened. "Wow, that's... unexpected. What do you do there?"

"I'm... uh... the CEO." He answered in a mumble.

"How... you look like you're in your early twenties, how did you manage to snag that job?"

His brow arched. "I'm twenty-five and I assure you I am perfectly qualified for such a job, if that's what your concern is."

She laughed lifting her hands out at her sides innocently. "I'm not questioning your qualification for such an job. I just... it seems... I'm impressed."

"Well thank you. It's not all it's cracked up to be but... enough about me. What do you do?"

"Nothing right now... just grieving I suppose."

"That's a very vague response and otherwise an instant attempt to avoid the actual question."

She bit at her lip in obvious nervousness. "I just..."

"What?"

Her shoulders perked in a display of embarrassment. "It's not going to sound as exciting as CEO of Wayne Enterprises."

He rolled his eyes. "Come on... I'm curious to what your normal life entails. You know... when you're not getting drunk in the middle of a cemetery."

She sighed, their eyes narrowing on each others in a challenging dominance over the conversation. "Fine..." She inhaled deeply. "I... paint."

"Paint?"

"See, I told you it wasn't going to sound as..."

He waved a hand at her, leaning forward in his chair with sudden interest. "No, no... it seems like something you would do."

She couldn't help but feel somewhat thrown off by his statement. Crossing one leg over the other she lowered her voice to a playful whisper. "And how would you be able to assume such a thing? You've only just met me."

"True, but you have that innocent spark of wonderment and creativity in your eyes that all people who express themselves through any form of art do."

Yet another moment of silence occurred, drawing Kori back into her thoughts once more. She couldn't explain the emotion that overcame her as of now, and the way he looked back at her, the way his smile seemed to pierce right through her composure, it all made it worse. Brushing a strand of hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear she said, "You can answer it you know; your phone. I don't mind."

Richard froze. He was confident his attempts to conceal the fact his phone had not stopped vibrating the entire time had gone unnoticed; apparently not. Knowing who it was he wanted nothing more than to ignore it, in the end he didn't want to interrupt his time with Kori in fear that she would take that opportunity to call it a night and he would have to return to his real life.

"Nah its alright." He rolled his eyes the phone vibrated again. Pulling it from his pocket now he stared down at it, silencing it. "It's just Babs."

"Babs? Whats that?" Kori asked with a laugh.

He looked to her confused, unaware that he had unconsciously revealed the one part of his life he wished to avoid Kori discovering. Clearing his throat he rubbed a hand at the back of his neck, hating that he was feeling nervous about responding. "Babs... I meant Barbara... my... girlfriend."

The intense amount of disappointment that struck him as he realized Kori did not even flinch at this discover surprised him. In truth he hadn't really expected Kori was even interested in him and yet it bothered him that she seemed entirely unaffected but this truth.

"And does Babs know you're wandering cemeteries in the middle of the night making friends with strangers?"

"She knew where I was but I think I'll leave the details to a minimum."

Kori rolled her eyes. "Right, thank you for sweeping my existence into secrecy. I've never felt more worthy of someones company."

His eyes widened. "No.. I didn't mean it that way just..."

"Relax," she giggled. "I'm only kidding." An indescribable tension in his chest arose as she slowly stood. "I should probably get home anyway." Great,... just what he was trying to avoid.

They stood before Kori's car now, awkward glances from her being passed to him. "Well... thank you... again."

Fidgeting with the car keys in his hands Richard lingered before her, regretting to have to say goodbye. "I'm gonna go out on a limb here and assume you don't actually live in Gotham?"

Her eyes narrowed. How would he know that? What would make him even assume that? Well, the truth, the mere fact that she had not recognized him as Dick Grayson was a dead giveaway; not that he'd tell her that.

"No. I live in California and that's like..."

"Across the country." He said with disappointment.

She looked to her feet nervously. "Yea."

Richard sighed heavily trying to think of anything to make her stay, if only a moment longer. Clearing his throat he casually looked out to the street in order to avoid looking her in the eye and the nerves that would consume him if he had. "So how long are you in Gotham for? Maybe we could get coffee again sometime."

She swallowed hard against the lump which had surfaced in her throat. "Umm... well, my flight is tomorrow so.."

"What time?" He asked quickly, not caring that he sounded somewhat desperate.

She smiled, a blush invading her cheeks again; a reaction she knew was wrong especially since Richard had a girlfriend, but she could not make it stop. Clearing her throat she took one step back from him, earning a set of narrowed eyes from him in response. "Look, Richard you're a really wonderful guy and I appreciate everything you did for me tonight. Truth is, under any other circumstance I would give you my number and ask that you call me sometime but... recently, I've become an emotional wreck and..." She swallowed hard, not really wanting him to believe the words she was about to speak but she knew it was for the best. "... you'd be lucky if you never saw me again. Trust me." Before he could react she leaned into him sending a simple, innocent kiss to his cheek. "Thank you again."

He remained utterly frozen to movement admiring her adorable strut as she entered her car and drove away and out of his life. In the end, he knew their brief meeting would be something not so easily forgotten.

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**

**THREE MONTHS LATER...**

Richard remained in the passenger seat of his cousin Rachel's car as they sat in a the always wonderful Gotham bumper to bumper traffic. A day had not gone by that Kori had not crossed his mind at least once and he hated that he was incapable of just letting the image of her go. The inexplicable intensity of emotion that developed over him any time she crossed his thoughts had become nothing more then a burden on his life especially since there was nothing he could do to change it. Even as Rachel's car came to a pause before the café Richard had taken Kori that night, his mind wandered back to her. With tired eyes his vision wandered to the table where they had sat and...

"Oww!" He snapped at the sharp presence of Rachel sending a flat hand against the back of his head.

Rachel shook her head with a satisfied smirk. "You're not even listening to me." She paused, noticing his attention return to the coffee shop. Leaning toward him she sighed. "She's not there. Geeze, why can't you just let that girl go? How long has it been?"

Richard sighed, knowing it was a lost cause but he couldn't shake the feeling that he had seen her walking through Gotham streets a few days ago. "I'm trying."

"She told you herself, she lives all the way in California so let it go. Besides, you have Babs remember?" Rachel said the last part with much distaste, openly displaying her dislike of Richard's girlfriend. "If you ask me I've never seen you more pathetic."

"Thanks, that helps Rae... really." he looked to her with a glare to which she immediately felt triumph from.

"Let me ask you something. Did you even tell Babs about your late night acquaintance? To be honest the way you describe her I doubt she's even real." She laughed, knowing her teasing of him was beginning to frustrate him further. She and Richard were close and yet their childish games and taunting between one another never came to an actual halt since they were kids.

"No Rachel, I didn't tell Babs. Why cause drama over someone I'll never see again?"

Rachel shook her head with a curt exhale. "The mere fact you withheld something from your girlfriend you 'love' so much when this random girl is constantly on your mind even after all this time only proves you are wasting your time with Babs."

He rolled his eyes, then passing one last glance to the cafe his mind jolted alert. There she was... he was certain of it.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Rachel said in confusion as he forced his seatbelt off and ran into the traffic, crossing the street.

Ignoring Rachel was far easier than it ever had been since his mind was focused on one thing and one thing only. He stumbled passed the halted cars around him, his gaze never leaving Kori as she walked into the café. He was certain it was her, this time it really would be. The radiance of her long wave of scarlet hair that traveled down her back coming to a stop just before her lower back was far too familiar to him to not be recognized. It may have been a few months since he had last seen her but the memory of her remained perfectly intact within the confines of his mind.

"Kori!" He called, pushing through the cafe door breathlessly. The anxiety that rushed his veins as the redhead turned, became far too much for him to handle.

There they were... those emerald eyes that had vexed him so, that hesitant smile which had haunted his dreams, it was all here.

She tilted her head to the side, eyes narrowed in disbelief. "Richard?"

The smile spread across his face matched hers in the amount of enthusiasm they shared at each others presence. "Yea." He laughed as she stepped to him, tossing her arms around him in a sweet embrace.

"I can't believe I'm standing in front of you." She said, her voice drenched in excitement.

"Me? I thought you lived in California?"

She sighed, a hand lifted to her forehead in thought now. "Yea well... I decided to move here to be closer to my family." She paused taking in his appearance. Her thoughts cursed to herself at how attractive she found him. He was in a black suit, hair spiked in the same fashion as when she had first met him. Those dashing blue eyes dominating her sense of control over herself. "I ..." she giggled, shaking her head nervously now. "I'm really glad to see you. I mean, I knew it was a possibility I would see you again but I wasn't sure you'd even remember me."

He laughed to himself. Of course he remembered her, and while we know he did more than just remember her, Kori was to remain in the dark about this fact in hopes of keeping composure before her. Afterall he was Dick Grayson, and Dick was never nervous with girls.

"Are you... do you have somewhere to be?" She turned to her right grabbing her coffee from the table and sipping it. "Wayne Enterprise maybe?" He looked down at himself, oh, that's right... work. "I don't want to keep you."

As she tried to step passed him, he repositioned himself in front of her, a hand on her arm. "Technically, yes, I have somewhere to be but... you denied me last time..." he paused as her eyes narrowed in confusion. "... I'm not leaving until you give me your number."

Kori rolled her eyes in a playful demeanor, taking his phone from his possession and programming her number into it. "To be accurate, no, I didn't 'deny' you, I merely didn't see a point in dragging you into my depression." She laughed returning him his phone, admiring the smile that overcame him as he stared down at her name in his contacts. "Besides, you didn't exactly ask. You just stood there... looking more helpless than I was at the time."

Following her as she exited the cafe and continued down the sidewalk, she said, "So... how's Barb?"

"Babs."

"Oh, right, Babs." She laughed.

It brought him a small amount of comfort that she had already tried to take an interest in his relationship status. "Uh... well she's fine."

Walking backward in front of him she said, "That's good to hear. Actually you found me just in time, can you tell me where..." she pulled a piece of paper from her purse to her vision, Richard more concerned with making sure she didn't run into anyone or anything with her careless walking. "... where Wayne Manor is?"

His mind flashed wide alert now. "What?"

Scrunching her face over the words again, her footing came to a stop. "Wayne Manor."

"What do you need to do there?"

"I have a meeting with a man by the name of Bruce ... Bruce Wayne."

"For what?"

"I'm a painter remember? Apparently Mr. Wayne funds the gallery I start working for next week and..."

He waved a hand to silence her. "I'll take you there."

"No your going to be late, just..." She stepped to the curb waving down a taxi.

Placing a hand against the center of her back he lead her to the taxi, holding the door open for her then looked to the driver. "Wayne Manor." Pausing with a deep inhale his eyes found hers once more. "Have dinner with me."

"Is that a request or demand?" She laughed.

"Which ever makes you agree."

She smiled. "No... I can't." That pain in his chest suddenly returned with severe sharpness. "I'm trying to get moved in and..." she placed a hand on his. "You and I both know Babs wouldn't appreciate that." She turned to the driver. "Wayne Manor plea-"

"Hold on." Richard shouted to the driver, bringing him to a halt once more. He looked back to Kori, eyes narrowing over her. The amount of frustration he felt at her hesitancy with him was slowly destroying him. "Have one drink with me."

"No."

He lowered his head to rest on the door with a sigh. "Why give me your number if you have no intentions of agreeing to see me?"

She thought for a moment then clearing her throat to return his disappointed attention to her, she said, "Fine..."

His excitement suddenly returned. "Dinner?"

"No."

"Then what?"

Looking at the time she became anxious. "Just... text me, I really have to go."

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**

"Just let her go." Rachel growled. She stood beside Richard on the porch of one of their close friends Victor Stone waiting for him to answer the door. The entire ride here and even now, he continued to complain about Kori. "It's clear she was blatantly trying to tell you she wasn't interested in knowing you. Her giving you a number that doesn't even work is a red flag."

Richard rolled his eyes, he had tried to text and call Kori but not once did the number work. The relief and excitement he once felt at seeing her again had vanished,... quickly. He knocked at the door loudly once more. "I just don't understand it."

"What's there to understand? She obviously has standards enough to realize Dick Grayson doesn't keep female friends he isn't sleeping with."

"You're the worst you know that? Isn't family suppose to make you feel better about situations like this."

She laughed. "First off, yea I'm your cousin but I didn't ask for that, and second... uhh, lets see... oh, okay, this girl would be crazy to not be interested in you?" She paused, their eyes narrowed over one another. "Sorry I tried."

"No that was... well, it would have been helpful if you actually meant it." He laughed.

"Ugh, where is this guy?" Rachel growled, banging on the door now. "He knew we were coming."

There was a loud shuffling behind the large french doors before one slowly flew open. Both Richard and Rachel's eyes widened in disbelief at the sight before them.

"Kori?" The two said in shocked unison.


	3. The Ties That Bind

**Chapter Three: The Ties That Bind**

"Kori?" They two said in unison, Kori's eyes widening over their presence.

Her eyes snapped back and forth between the two in complete and utter shock struggling with who to be more shocked at standing in front of her, Richard, or her old college friend Rachel. Finding herself speechless, her mouth opened but no words formed, hating herself for her minds inability to make an appearance and function normally.

Rachel stepped forward shoving at Kori's shoulder playfully. "What the hell? Why didn't you tell me you were in town?"

"I... Rachel... I ..." She was speaking to Rachel but was now more focused on why Richard stood before her looking somewhat cross. How did he even know Rachel? ... or Vic? Or more importantly how was it that fate kept bringing him to her? It didn't help matters that his expression was equally as hazed with surprise and... was that a hint of what appeared to be sudden anger?

"Hello!" Rachel said, shoving at Kori's arm again. "Are you alright?"

Clearing her throat Kori's eyes shut and she shook her head, as if to shake herself back to life. Ignoring Richard she leaned into Rachel embracing her warmly. "Fine.. I'm fine. I've ... I've missed you." Richard's jaw tightened as her wide eyes looked to him over Rachel's shoulder. "I didn't realize you and Vic kept in touch since college?"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Sure we grew apart for a while there but now that he plays football here we kind of reconnected." She paused, becoming aware of Richard's sudden silence. "Oh... right, this is my cousin Dick." She sighed. "Yes... as in Dick Grayson."

It was Kori's turn to narrow her eyes in a feeling of betrayal at Richard. In reality, she knew all too well what being Dick Grayson meant. Forget about the millions of dollars attached to his name, at the end of the day what came to her mind was playboy, womanizer, arrogance... shall I continue?

"IS that so?" She managed to mutter with held back disdain, her voice hardly masking the amount of confusion she felt even as his guilty glance lowered to floor. Extended a nervous hand to him to which he quickly accepted she said, "Nice to meet you, Dick Grayson."

He shook her hand feeling just as awkward and slightly annoyed in this moment. "Kori."

Pushing passed Kori, Rachel made her way into the house. "Come on Kor, we have a lot of catching up to do."

Richard and Kori only caught one more glimpse of one another before Rachel pulled her away and into the kitchen, leaving Richard to join the others in the living room.

"What's with you?" Came Rachel's voice, instantly snapping Kori out of her swirling thoughts as they settled in the kitchen.

Inhaling deeply, trying her hardest to remove the frown lines on her face molded from confusion, Kori turned to Rachel. "Sorry I... I just... how is it I never knew you were the cousin of Dick Grayson?"

Rachel rolled her eyes, this conversation having played out throughout her life far too many times to be surprised by it. Leaning into the counter, arms crossed in front of her, she studied Kori's distracted expression. "Is it really that big of a deal? I'm certain I've mentioned it to you before."

"No, I mean, it isn't a big deal just... a shock really." She gave off a nervous chuckle. "I wasn't planning on meeting any celebrities today."

"He's no more a celebrity then I am. When he's here at Vic's,... he's just Dick; my obnoxious cousin, nothing more nothing less."

There was an awkward silence before Kori took the opportunity to change the subject. In truth, the suspicious glare Rachel had set on her was beginning to make her nervous. Reaching into the fridge for two drinks she passed one to Rachel. "So... its been... a while. How have you been?"

Giving a brief shrug, Rachel said, "Nothing really has changed since you've been away."

"So you still keep in touch with Bee?"

"Yea, she was suppose to be here tonight but I guess things at work got a little complicated."

"Did you become the doctor you always wanted to be?" Kori said with a giggle.

Her voice answered back with a monotone gaveling of sorts; one which Kori was familiar with in knowing it only displayed her discomfort in what she was about to say. "If you had stuck around or at the very least kept in touch, you wouldn't have to ask." Her eyes hardened over Kori, who in turn became fidgety. "But yes... I did. Now the only question I have for you is whether or not you intend on staying this time around."

"Was it really that big of a deal that I left in the first place?"

Rachel's brow curved in frustration, the air in the room thickening with tension and previously unspoken betrayal felt on both sides. "Do you really think your absence wasn't hard on all of us?" She exhaled curtly, Kori's refusal to make eye contact finally getting on her nerves. "Kori, when you left... it killed all of us. Things have never been the same and ..." she sighed. "... and I'm not sure they can ever go back to the way they were."

Eye contact was forced now, Kori's heart jolting with more emotion and guilt then she could ever explain. Sure, she had a reason for leaving all those years ago and it may have been easier for her to leave without so much as a goodbye, but while she never expected to return, now that she had everything, every decision, every bridge she had burned by her disappearance... it was all facing her head on. She couldn't hold back the tears that escaped her, trailing down her cheeks in a silent display of utter regret.

She looked away in an attempt to compose herself, calm her breathing and muster enough strength to form words without whimpering helplessly. A hand wiped at her tears before she looked back to an equally displeased Rachel. Rachel may not have been one to cry but there once was a time she and Rachel were inseparable and the event of such sadness was obvious to her. The mere sight of her friends so affected in this situation only made her tears flow mercilessly.

Rachel's lips were tensed in a firm line, veiled over her grinding teeth, her eyes unblinking and cold. Kori bit at the inside of her cheek to ease the intensity of her tears now, still trying to find her voice in this painful silence.

"I..." She started but quickly fell at a loss of composure once more. The piercing glare of Rachel's violet eyes remained unflinching in a destructive plan to wear Kori down. She wanted answers; answers Kori wasn't sure she was willing to express nor that she even knew the truth to some of them. She inhaled deeply, her breath never seeming more of a struggle. "There's nothing I can say to make any of this better. I can't change what I did, nor what it did to any of you." Another deep inhale of scarce, sharp breath, her foot incessantly tapping against the wooden floor beneath her as her right hip rested against the counter beside her. "There's no way to fix anything, but just know it wasn't easy for me."

"Do you regret it? Leaving?" Rachel asked coldly. She was finally in a position were it was just her and Kori and she refused to let her leave before all of this was cleared up. "Do you?"

Kori's fidgeting became more flustered to the point where her rapid breath began to echo off the silence in the room. Rachel knew Kori was suffering in this moment, but that's what she wanted. She loved Kori, she was her closest friend, but things were different now; Kori had abandoned her; abandoned everyone and everything.

"If I said yes it would be a lie."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "I can't believe you."

"Rachel, you don't understand." Her voice raised in pitch, desperation leaking from her tone. She placed a hand out to reach Rachel but was instantly shoved away. "After my parents..."

"Yea, I'm well aware of what happened Kori. I know what you went through, hell, Dick went through the same thing. I could have helped you; I would have been there for you. I mean.." she released a grunt of anger, stepping back from Kori. "You had everyone here, willing to do anything for you and instead you just... you just ran away."

"I didn't runaway."

"Oh yes you did. You ran Kori, and you've been running since. Now your back but with Komi's death I'm sure we're all going to be just as hesitant with you."

"Rachel..."

"Kori, stop. Just listen to me. You, me, Vic, Karen, Roy, Ryan, Wally,... we've all been through so much and for you to just leave like you did..." she shook her head, trying to hold back the immense anger she felt. "When you left, you took pieces of us with you. How do we know you're here to stay this time? How do we know seeing you again isn't just another game before you break under the pressure and vanish again?"

"I'm sorry," Kori whined, her chest heaving; panting weakly. "If you would just hear me out." She braced a hand against the counter, the other over her forehead. "I had to go Rachel. After what happened I couldn't stay. I couldn't look at any of you the same and none of you looked to me the same; it was too much."

"So you ran?"

"Fine, yes, I ran. Happy? I'm here now and while I can never apologize enough for the past... it was my decision and maybe that seems selfish to you but... I had to find myself. I had to change the path my life was going down. I mean, it wasn't personal. I even left my own brother in the dark about where I was or if I'd return... but I'm here, and I'm sorry, and... and I'm staying."

Kori's eyes narrowed, her weeping taking a pause as she noticed Rachel's demeanor soften. Her eyes glanced a way before returning to Kori with a sigh. "Good. We can get into more detail about this later; I don't want to ruin my night."

Watching hesitantly as Rachel pulled the lid free from her drink; her mood drastically calm. Wiping at her eyes Kori leaned back into the counter and tried to calm her breathing. This moment may have been strange to anyone who wasn't already aware of Rachel's behavior, but this was something Kori had been exposed to before. Rachel's mood swings, and ability to fall from angry to content within seconds would give anyone whiplash but Kori was actually pleased at this. The only problem was trying to get her mindset caught up with Rachel's.

She could feel Rachel glance at her now and again, waiting for her to calm, and when she finally did, Rachel forced a close-mouthed smile. "I am happy to see you though."

With a distressed nod, Kori exhaled slowly, finally calm... well, calmer.

"Where are you staying?"

"Uh... here actually."

Rachel drank once more, her tone neutral now. "Good, Dick and I are here all the time. So I can keep an eye on you."

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**

Dick paused nodding in response to the others who remained who lined upon the leather couches greeting him as he entered the living room. While he was more than relieved to actually be in Kori's presence at the same time he felt overwhelmed by the awkward scenario that occurred upon arrival. How did Rachel, his cousin, know Kori? They mentioned something about college but he had gone to the same university as Rachel and while he graduated first on account of being older, he was confident he had never actually met her before. Which also bring Vic into the picture. Kori seemed to know him just as much as Rachel. How is it Kori was never mentioned by either of them in the past, why had they never met? It all seemed far too much to digest in this moment, especially when Vic barged into the house, entering the living room, eyes wandering wide as his voice dominated over all others in a displeased mood.

He looked to Roy, a friend of theirs who sat just beside Richard. "Where is she?" With Roy's gesture toward the kitchen Vic turned, hands on his sides as he called out to Kori. Richard couldn't help the smile that invaded his mood as Kori's head peeked out of the kitchen innocently, her hands tucked behind her as she stepped to Vic like a child being scolded, her hair whispering behind her in a flame of red.

"Yes Vic?" She asked innocently. Sure, Rachel was the main person she had to be careful around but she had anticipated Rachel's anger upon returning. Vic on the other hand was different; he was too loving to actually stay mad at anyone, and Kori was looking forward to rebuilding their lost friendship. Merely being in his presence lightened her mood and made her feel an undeniable warmth and comfort; regardless of his displeased mood at present.

His large chest heaved with a deep inhale, narrowing his brown eyes down at her with a look of disappointment. "You know it's always great to see you. And you may be my best friend but you could have at least called before you just had all of your stuff sent to my house."

Kori shrugged those large emerald eyes sparkling back at Vic. "You have like twelve rooms in this place, you wont even notice I'm here." She smiled innocently, a smile she knew would weaken Vic's anger. "We'll keep it the same roommate college rules so no one gets in each others sway."

"Kori, can you even imagine the lecture I got when I had to explain to my girlfriend that a girl from my past is just randomly moving into my place when I've denied her the privilege of doing so?"

"You have a girlfriend?"

Vic's thick brows narrowed at her giggle, meanwhile the only thing Richard felt consumed by was the fact Kori was living in the one house he spent most of his time at then his own... Vic's. "Yes Kori... I am perfectly capable of having a girlfriend."

She nodded then as Vic's body tensed slightly, Richard looked back to Kori and instantly understood why he had become so uneasy. She stared up at him in a whimper, an adorable whimper, her voice carrying around the room in a pleading tone, her eyes scanning over Vic nervously like a lost puppy. "If you wish for me to leave..." she dipped her head. "... I can have my stuff out by tomorrow."

Vic hesitated and Richard could see, as well as everyone else in the room, especially Vic, that she was messing with him; knowing he would give in. Suddenly, Vic shook his head then lunged forward lifting Kori into his strong arms hugging her tightly, to which she giggled in response.

"You are too much, you know that?" Vic laughed. "Two years... two long years since I've seen you. Do you at least plan on staying in Gotham this time? I don't think any of us could handle you just leaving again."

Kori looked up at him, her body still off the ground. "Yes well, that all depends..." She laughed again as he lowered her back to her feet and glared at her knowing she was about to demand something of him. "... I sort of... brought a special... guest with me."

Vic shook his head. "If you brought that damn cat..."

"Silkie... yes and you have noting to worry about. He is completely harmless, you'll love him."

He released a growl, wiping a hand across his shaven head, "Fine,... I... Karen wants to meet you though. She'll be here tomorrow so... act... normal."

Kori rolled her eyes. "I'll do what I can."

With that Kori passed a glance to Richard as she sat beside Vic on the couch, diving into deep conversation among themselves, Rachel joining their huddle. After her rekindlement of sorts with Rachel, she was dreading the amount of conflict to arise between her and Richard as a result of her actions earlier today, but she knew she couldn't avoid him forever.

Now, Richard receded to conversation among the others around him but that in no meant he didn't have constant eyes on Kori and enjoyed the satisfaction that developed over him when he realized she would ever so often casually send small glances his way. He was certain she wanted to speak with him but was obviously just as stunned as he was that they had the same friends and yet had never come into contact with one another previously.

The night carried on for a long while, much longer than Richard, himself, would ever have stayed. As of now he was learning more about Kori through Roy. A desperate plea for information but that's just it... he was desperate.

"I can't believe she came back." Roy laughed, running a hand through is auburn hair, his bloodshot eyes wobbling. "Hopefully I'll be able to get her back."

"Back?" Richard asked taken aback. The thought of Kori with anyone suddenly made him anxious and uneasy, not that he had a right to be; the fact he had Babs was slowly becoming more of an inconvenience to him. Which only proved he was no one other than Dick Grayson. In truth he loved Babs, so why Kori was able to get under his skin was neither fair to Babs or him.

Roy shook his head, his slur becoming more excessive. "Dick, I used to have this girl wrapped around my finger. It wasn't until her parents died that she left out of the blue. Everyone tried to contact her, even her brother Ryan couldn't figure out where she had gone." He sighed. "Ryan's going to freak when he realizes she's back."

Richard sighed, the extent of tragedy Kori's life encompassed seemed to only get worse the more he discovered details of her past. The clarity he now felt at the memory of how distraught she had been, how helpless she was when he found her, it all made sense. She wasn't just dealing with the passing of Komi but had lost her parents, like him, previous.

His thoughts fell silent as he recalled Roy's words. "Hold on..." he leaned forward, arms on his knees and he lowered his voice. "Did you just say Ryan? Ryan as in college Ryan? The same Ryan we hang out with all the time?"

Roy laughed. "I can't believe you never met Kori before... yes, she's Ryan's little sister." He sighed, eyes wandering over Kori from the distance now. "I guess she just lost her sister a few months ago."

"And?" Richard asked, sensing a hint of mischief in Roy's words.

"She's vulnerable." Roy laughed, wiggle of his eyebrows asserting themselves scandalously before Richard. "Which is perfect for me."

Richard did his best to conceal the involuntary glare that succumbed his features, but it wouldn't matter either way; Roy was more interested in admiring Kori from the distance. It was now that Richard stopped ignoring Babs, who had called him every ten minutes since he arrived and finally he stood slipping out into the back porch.

"Hey Babs, sorry I've been a little busy here at Vic's."

"That's fine, I just wish you would have responded earlier. It's hard being with someone like you who tends to drift into promiscuous behavior. You know when you ignore my calls it makes me nervous." She warned.

Richard shook his head with a forced laugh. "I'm at Vic's with Rachel, like always. There's nothing for you to worry about." His eyes widened, his mind going blank as the back door opened revealing a slightly drunk Kori. "Hey uh... let me call you back." Before Babs could respond he ended the call and turned to Kori with a hesitant smile.

"Hey stranger."

A stunned, "Hey," was all he could muster.

It was now her entire appearance came into view, no onlooking eyes judging his lingering gaze. Two beers at hand she tossed one his way and took a seat at the small bench to her left. He swallowed hard against the lump in his throat as she adjusted her hair over one shoulder, allowing it to fall across her front, framing her figure. She had this presence about her. He couldn't put a finger on it but there was just something she did to him, whether intentional or not, or whether she was aware of it or not; he was completely under her control in this moment. Which only amplified his uneasy feeling at the thought that she could have asked anything of him in this moment and he would make it hers.

Knowing she was staring at him as he found himself unable to bring a halt to his eyes as they involuntarily wandered her body head to toe, he quickly cleared his throat. "I was hoping we'd have the chance to talk."

"This is all really crazy isn't it? I mean... I had no idea Rachel was your cousin or that we were friends with the same people."

He nodded, utterly motionless before her; transfixed by the very smile on display for him. "Yea... its... a shock."

Taking a long drink she looked passed him to the falling snow around the backyard, leaning back into the small bench. "At first I thought meeting you and then seeing you again was all nothing more than a random coincidence. Which clearly now isn't so. I mean, how is it we never met when our lives are intertwined with so many of the same people?"

"I don't know."

The look on her face and overall demeanor led him to assume she was already feeling the effects of alcohol pretty well, but she seemed to hold herself together. The slight presence of her adorable slur was almost unnoticeable unless someone was purposely listening for it and yet, it was as clear as ever to him; earning her a smile. A smile that hadn't been seen in a long time; a smile that could only mean he was undeniably happy.

Yet, at the same time, the amount of sympathy he felt for her was hard to hold back. Sure, he had lost his parents and so had she, but he couldn't understand why she was so calm; much calmer then she had been the night they had met. He was convinced this strong façade was nothing more than forced. Why be so confident in this assumption? There was this specific glow in her eyes, a glow he himself had, and it was a consequence of loss, pain, inevitably forced composure. The idea of being in her place, of not only losing his parents but losing someone else close to him, perhaps Rachel... it was all too much to even consider. It took him years to... not get over his parents death, but come to accept it. Even now as they remained in silence, he could tell she had this internal struggle for composure which was slowly beginning to crack with his presence. Was she becoming more vulnerable around him because he knew what she was going through, that she had revealed her emotions about her sister's death to him personally? He didn't know, but all that mattered was that he would never be able to comfort her in this moment the way he wanted to.

"So you're staying with Vic for a while?"

"Yea, it's the only thing that really makes sense to me right now; he's been my closest friend since I can remember." She tightened her grip on the bottle of beer within her hand and sighed. "I think it will be easier to adapt to life back in Gotham with him at my side."

With a warm smile, he came to the decision to avoid any referencing of the pain she was obviously hiding from everyone, at least for now. "Well,... I'm glad we could finally talk."

It was now that her large eyes snapped to his. "I don't know, you could have fooled me."

"What is that suppose to mean?" He asked. His eyes narrowed as Kori seemed trapped in her own thoughts. She seemed to struggle against herself for a moment before finally turning her body toward him.

"It's odd..." She began, her demeanor conforming more into the same nervousness he had come into contact with the night he met her. "With the strong persistency you had this morning I got this crazy idea in my head and really thought you were going to call me. In fact I was going to invite you and Babs here tonight."

His brow arched. "Is that so? Well, Babs doesn't usually go to things like this and as for calling you...I did."

He watched closely as she pulled her phone from her pocket, her alcohol hazed mind focusing down on it for a long while before she looked up to him. "No... you didn't."

"I called, trust me... more than once."

She bit at her bottom lip then shutting her eyes, brows burrowing she shook her head. "Can I see your phone?" His hesitation sent her into a giggle, her frail hand stretched out before him. "I promise I wont snoop. I just want to check the number I gave you." Complying, his phone found its way to her possession and she stared down at it. "Oh, damn it." She laughed. "I'm so sorry. I gave you my old number." Her fingers tapped across the keys of the phone and handed it back to him with a laugh. "Sorry, I'm... I'm still transitioning to my new life in Gotham, I've only been here a week. But hey, at least you showed up here or else I wouldn't have noticed my mistake." She paused, noticing him stare down at his phone in prolonged silence. IT was obvious to her that he seemed hesitant about the whole wrong number situation. "You can call my phone if you think I'm lying."

He sighed not wanting to seem so desperate. "I believe you." He paused, clearing his throat. "So... how did Wayne Manor go?"

She rolled her eyes. "You know, ... that whole situation with you this morning seems so ridiculous now. Knowing who you really are now made the memory seems so pathetic. Had I realized you were Dick Grayson, Bruce Wayne's son, I would have..."

"Look, I didn't tell you who I was because I ... I was enjoying not having to be that guy." He shrugged. "I was enjoying your company as just another person in the crowd, not a man with a reputation that follows."

"So... who can I expect to spend my time with whenever I see you? Richard or Dick Grayson, because as far as I'm concerned they seem like two very different people?"

Richard laughed. "Well... I'll do my best to be Richard for you, but there are no promises."

"And which one is the real you?"

He swallowed hard, her words and the interest she took in him was beginning to make him slightly more nervous, and far more nervous than Dick Grayson ever would be. "Which one do you prefer?"

She smiled. "I may not know Dick Grayson personally but I've heard enough to come to the assumption he and I would not be very good friends." He smile widened. "I prefer Richard."

He felt a blush tickle at his cheeks and as he ran a hand down the length of his face he laughed it off. "Good... because that's who I am limelight aside. I want to be sure you understand without a doubt that the man you met that night in the cemetery was nothing but genuine. Dick and Richard may be the same person, but at the same time they're completely different. I just can't always be the man I want to be."

"And Richard is the real you? The one who doesn't fake smiles for the public, shield his eyes and sport arrogance?"

He laughed. "Yea... I guess you could say that."

She nodded. "Alright... good." She inhaled deeply, leaning back into the bench. "So where's Babs tonight?"

"I don't really know. I think with some friends of hers."

"Right."

"Listen so... what are you doing tomorrow?"

"Unpacking, sleeping and probably a little more unpacking." She growled to herself. "I'm really not looking forward to it."

"Well, in the midst of all this unpacking would it be out of the question to make time for lunch with me?"

She hesitated, reading his pleading expression before she said, "I suppose that would be alright."

He smiled. "Good."

There was an intense silence between them, each gazing into one another's eyes. A habit which took place between them in which they each took note of yet neither drew attention to verbally. Perhaps it was the alcohol that made Kori linger, knowing perfectly well she would normally at the very lest attempt to avoid a situation like this, as in allowing herself to be drawn into his gaze, but right now... she couldn't help it.

"Hey Dick," Came Rachel's voice. She paused noticing Kori and him alone on the back porch. Her eyes narrowed. "I wondered where you disappeared to." She looked from Kori to Richard now. "You leave her alone. Kori is a sweet girl not to be tainted by you."

Before Richard could defend himself, Kori stood with a sweet laugh. "Don't worry about me Rachel. Richard is far nicer then you give him credit for."

Rachel's brow arched toward Richard. "That's what I'm afraid of. " Giving him a look of warning she said, "We need to go." Giving Kori a quick hug, she lingered by the back door staring back at Richard angrily at his hesitation to follow. "Are you coming?"

"He'll be right there." Kori laughed. "I want to say goodbye to him without you hovering."

With one last glare to Richard she left them alone. Inhaling deeply Kori turned to him with a sheepish smile. "That wasn't awkward."

He laughed. "Ah well... apparently, you know how she is."

Kori giggled. "That's very true." Her feet became rather interesting to her in order to ease the amount of nerves she felt in this moment. Latching her left hand over the elbow of her right arm, she gave an innocent shrug, her eyes avoiding his. "So I guess I'll see you tomorrow then?"

The nerves that consumed him as well, were quite gut wrenching itself. Running a hand through his hair, he chuckled nervously, secretly hating that she could make him feel so vulnerable. "Yea..." Clearing his throat he stepped into her, bringing her into what began as an awkward hug then as she slowly wrapped her arms around him, became a teasing embrace of unspoken affection. Before pulling away, he sent a kiss to her temple. "Alright well, have a good night."

She nodded, watching as he made his way back into the house. The second the back door shut she released a frustrated sigh. Dropping her body back down onto the bench she leaned her head against its backing. Let's see, taking a look at the facts; at least the way they presented themselves in her own mind.  
True: no matter how much she pushed him away Richard managed to find his way back to her, false: she had accidentally given him the wrong number. No in reality she was hoping to separate herself from him based on the next fact.  
True: she wanted to be friends with him and even enjoyed his company; if only things were as simple as that. false: she didn't have feelings for him on a more intimate level. Of course she did but even if he didn't have Babs, she found herself at a juncture in her life where things were too complicated, her mind too overwhelmed with everything to even consider a relationship... with anyone, but upon realizing Richard wasn't just a stranger met in a cemetery but that of an infamous playboy, it only made matters worse.  
Now, one more, True: considering recent details of her and Richard's close-knit group of friends plus the reality that he knew she was living with Vic, there would be no avoiding him; False: she would continue to push him away. Sure, she wanted to, but in the event of all previous stated truths she would be a fool to believe that it would even be a conceivable notion that his persistency to reach out to her would suddenly come to a halt. She knew if anything it would only get worse... but why? Why was he so fixated on being apart of her life?

Another loud sigh escaped into the chilled air around her. If her life wasn't complicated enough, if tonight proved anything, it was just about to get a whole lot worse. Which is when another thought crossed her mind, she wasn't absolutely certain Richard had feelings for her on an intimate level or whether it was merely because he had connected with her in the reality that they had both felt loss. Either way... tomorrow would be met with anxiety of his arrival once more.

TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT

"I can't stress this enough Dick. Kori is one of my closest friends." Rachel snarled, her eyes focused on the road as they drove away from Vic's house.

"Which we all know it's difficult for you to make friends so you have to keep an eye out on the ones you do have." He chuckled, his mood never more satisfied.

Rachel shoved violently at his arm, knowing the daze of happiness he felt was far too much. "I'm serious. Don't go near her. She's a nice girl. She just lost her sister and..."

"Komi. Yea I know."

Not taking notice of his words, Rachel continued, her voice raging with warning. "She doesn't need you poking your head into her life and making things worse."

"At least she gave me her real number this time."

It took a few moments but eventually, following his words, Rachel slammed on her breaks. As the car came to a halt she turned to Richard who braced his hands against he dashboard in response to her sudden halt of the car.

"What did you just say?"

He looked to her with an all too confident smile. "You heard me correctly."

Rachel's violet eyes widened over him, his happy demeanor sending her in a rage of emotion. He cowered in a laugh as she sent a hand down at him, slapping at his arm repeatedly. "I... don't... think... so."

His laughter only fed her anger for him. "Would you stop? Come on. It's not that big of a deal."

She inhaled deeply, bringing her assault on him to a stop and lowered her head to the steering wheel. "Dick, ... please tell me it wasn't Kori you met at the cemetery that night?" With his silence she looked to him. "Please."

"It was." He said with a smirk.

"Get out."

"What?"

"Get out of my car!" She demanded.

"What? Rae come on. You're being ridiculous. My car is at the Manor and it's still miles away."

She held firm. "I said get out."

"Why?"

Her brow shook violently with bit back anger. "Because... you don't know Kori the way I do. You don't know what she's been through or... just get out."

"I'm not letting you kick me out of the car because I made friends with someone close to you."

She shook her head. "I'm not an idiot, Dick. You don't make friends with girl's. You sleep with them and then leave them wondering what they did wrong as you push them away; you hurt them. I wont let you hurt Kori. She's been through enough."

He laughed. "I'm not going to hurt her. My intentions are only to be her friend not..." He sighed. "Look, its like you said, I have Babs. I'm not looking to start a relationship beyond friendship with anyone."

"Oh please, the way you talked about Kori, the way you ..." she growled in frustration. "I know you and I can tell when you have an interest in someone and this... this is beyond that; it's... it's an obsession."

"Alright, that's too far. I'm not obsessed with her. I just... I really like her. I know what she's going through and..."

"Don't play the dead parents card with me." Rachel snapped. Trying to control her breathing her anger quickly melted away once she realized the offended expression on his face. Rolling her eyes, she said, "Dammit, Dick I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I didn't ... you know I didn't mean to bring them up. I just... "

"It's fine. I'm just trying to get you to understand that this is different; Kori is different. It's not about attraction it's about... understanding." He rubbed at his tired eyes and lowered his head into his hands. "I can't explain it. When I saw her there that night... I saw myself. I didn't have anyone to help me through what I was going through. I mean, I had Bruce and you but... no one understood what it was like, no one knew what I was feeling and..." his eyes flickered to hers as he shrugged slightly. "I don't want her to feel that way; as if she has no one that can relate to her. Did you see her tonight? Pretending as if nothing had happened, as if her sister passing never took place? She's in denial and I would know, I was there for far longer then I should have been, and I..." He straightened his posture, bringing his shoulders back confidently. "I'm gonna be the one to bring her out of it. Whether you approve or not... I'm going to be the one to help her through this."

Rachel took a moment of deep thought then placed a hand against his shoulder, his attention returning to her. "I understand." The two mirrored comforting smiles. "But..." her tone returned to her graveled, careless voice as she started the car once more. "... you so much as hurt her feelings in this attempt to help her through this and you're going to be the one who needs help." She passed a playful glare at him. "I'll kick your ass myself."

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**


	4. Will It Really Last?

**Chapter Four: Will It Really Last?**

Richard pulled up to the location in which Kori had texted him earlier this morning to meet her for lunch. No, of course he hadn't mentioned his plans with Kori to anyone, let alone Babs who would have only become suspicious in her own her right, because even Richard knew he wasn't exactly innocent in all this, and yet, here he was pulling up into the driveway, never more anxious to see Kori. He had come to the decision to spare himself the lecture Rachel would have so '_gracefully_' bestowed upon him had she become aware of his plans with Kori, which again, were innocent from her standpoint, not his, but there wasn't exactly any way to explain it to make it seem that way, which only made it worse that he was ignoring this obvious truth.

Adjusting his tie tighter around his collar, he stared up at the restaurant having to hold back a smile. This was it, time alone with Kori that he had been waiting for, even dreaming about since the two had parted ways those few months ago. Of course, not all things turn out as planned, which is a fact that only reconfirmed itself as he strode into the restaurant. It was the instant he entered that his jitters suddenly froze, dwindling from existence. He stared wide-eyed back at a giggling Kori who sat in the corner of the restaurant, no, not alone, but across the table with Vic. This wasn't exactly what he had in mind when trying to convince Kori the night before to have lunch with him but he would take what he could get; not that it wasn't a major let down from his point of view.

"Hey, man," Came Vic's nervous brown eyes as he spotted Richard approaching. He stood, greeting him with a hesitant smile; Richard immediately sensing Vic's odd mood, his behavior fidgety and inconsistent. "Great, you're finally here. Now we're just waiting on Karen."

"What's wrong with him?" Richard asked, looking to Kori who shook her head at him with a grin.

She motioned for him to sit beside her and as he did she said, "He's just nervous about me meeting his girlfriend. He thinks she's going to try to kill him and then me for being the one to move in with him."

Vic sighed, a hand aggressively directed at her, the hysteric assertive vein in his neck pulsating at an alarming rate, begging to be acknowledged and only heightening the strength of any argument he could be trying to convey. "You don't get it. Karen's gonna take one look at you and automatically assume I let you move in because you're young and beautiful. I don't know why you don't believe me. She's crazy man, and there's no way she'll believe you're just my friend."

Kori blushed slightly at his compliment ignoring the heavy sigh of frustration that escaped Vic as he leaned back into his chair, the sound of his tapping foot against the tiled floor growing louder. "It'll be fine... trust me."

Another giggle escaped Kori as Vic jumped in his seat at the sound of his phone, finding his nervousness far too adorable. He stared down at his phone then quickly stood. "Alright, she's here." He took a deep inhale to calm himself, his eyes snapping back and forth between Kori and Richard as if to relay that 'shit was about to go down'. "I'll be right back. I'm gonna meet her out front." He then paused, looking back to Kori and rolling his eyes. "Just... just be... normal, don't do any of that adorable giggling or, playing with your hair or..."

"Just go." As he left in a stumbling rush Kori looked to Richard. Inhaling deeply, her mood suddenly changing, her smile nowhere to be found. She knew he was trying to hide the fact that he was obviously bothered that this lunch wasn't just the two of them, but she wasn't sure she was ready to be alone with him. "You're upset."

He looked to her with a raised brow. He wasn't entirely upset but mainly based upon the fact that he couldn't imagine ever really being upset with that innocent face of hers. "No... why would I be?"

She pointed a finger at him a small wrinkle in her nose now. "I can tell by the scrunch in your forehead." She laughed with a nod. "You're clearly upset."

He shook his head, leaning back into his chair trying to better mask his discomfort. "No, not at all. I admit I didn't expect to..."

"I know what you expected."

"Right, but all I wanted was to have an innocent..."

"I know what you wanted."

He looked to her in defeat. As she smiled back at him innocently, he sighed. "Well then... I guess there's nothing left to say now is there?" He helped himself to the glass of water before him; anything to draw his attention away from her in this moment of her trying to study his features. "I'm not upset... just taken off guard." He paused taking notice of her overly confident demeanor in this moment. He adored Karen but she was not one to get on the bad side of, if so... it wouldn't be pretty. "So... are you really not nervous to meet Karen? She's... stubborn."

"Not at all. I actually already know her."

"What?" He asked confused.

She shrugged. "Karen, Rachel and I were really close in college."

"Of course you were." The amount of people she and him knew was quickly accumulating. To be honest he was surprised he hadn't assumed Kori had previously known Karen in the first place; it made so much sense now. Rachel was friends with Karen so why wouldn't Kori be? "So... why not tell Vic?"

Her scandalous laugh left him somewhat speechless, his palms becoming sweaty. Her index finger trailing over the brim of her glass of water and the devious look in her eyes was far too erotic to him in this instant. "I wanted to see him squirm for a bit. It's fun to see a big, tough football player nervous... don't you agree?"

Before another word could be spoken Richard noticed a perk in Kori's eyes which had shifted off into the distance behind him, following a loud squeal to the side of them. He turned to see Karen light up, both her and Kori jumping beside one another now in excitement. Their words were hardly comprehensive as they squealed back and forth to one another but Richard had to admit... Kori was right, the look of pure bewilderment that consumed Vic was in fact quite humorous.

"Woa, woa, woa..." Vic finally said after a moment of complete silence while his mind tried to wrap around the sight before him. He stepped toward the giggling girls with wide eyes, them responding in further laughter at the sight of him so tense. "What the hell just happened?"

Karen hugged at Kori tighter as she responded. "Vic, you didn't tell me it was Kori as in Kori Anders. I don't care if she lives with you. I love this girl."

"I've missed you Bee." Kori squirmed enthusiastically.

"Uh, hello..." Karen continued, sitting beside Kori at the table and leaving the spot beside Richard clear for Vic; neither man all that happy with this sudden change in seating arrangements. "She's the one that introduced me to your drunk ass in college. Don't you remember anything?"

Kori shook her head, giving Vic a devious smile. "He was far too drunk in college to remember his own damn name."

"And did you know it would be _this_ Karen, someone you _knew_, that we were meeting today?" Vic said angrily, Kori seemingly unaffected by the impatience in his voice. The playful glares they set over one another was quite a thing to witness, sure Richard had recently learned they were not just friends but best friends and yet their behavior with one another was still something to adjust to. No one really messed with Vic, he was an intimidating, sturdy block of muscles that played football for a living; collision and fighting being something he would never even hesitate with, but Kori, ... this small framed, giggling mess of a girl could basically say or do anything to piss him off and he would respond as if it was nothing more than a game between them; and in reality it was.

Kori nodded. "Yea."

Richard laughed to himself as Vic's posture suddenly became stiff, pointing a finger at Kori and a mischievous glare in his gaze. "You just sealed your fate little lady. I will get you back for this."

"For what?" Karen asked, fixing her purse upon the back of her chair.

"For making Vic get all nervous at what you thought of me living with him." Kori replied. It was now that Richard had truly begun to enjoy himself. Sure, he wasn't alone with her, nor was he even sitting beside her or even apart of her conversation verbally but the happiness and giggly attitude she was displaying he had never witnessed with her before. He found himself laughing at things he wasn't even sure he would really have thought funny in any normal sense but because it was her, so full of life, so unexpectedly happy... it made all the difference. She began waving her hands in front of her to imitate Vic's behavior previous to Karen's arrival, her voice in a forced deepness to mimic Vic. "She's crazy, she's going to kill you then me... she'll _never_ believe we're just friends."

The two laughed, Richard joining as well, while Vic remained with a scowl on his features.

"Laugh it up... just laugh it up." He taunted, his mind already spinning a web of revenge for later.

Conversation died down for a moment as a waiter approached their table quickly jotting down their orders then leaving just as quickly as he arrived.

"So..." Karen said with a mischievous smile, her body turned toward Kori.

"So?" Kori giggled, the sound of her laugh never really satisfying Richard's desire to hear it once more.

"I was thinking..." Brows raised, Karen looked to Vic and Richard really quickly then returned to Kori. "... you, me and Rachel should do something tonight. You know, like old times."

Kori sighed. "I don't know, I think Rachel said something about being on call at the hospital tonight."

"So!" Karen's loud voice rang. She shook both of Kori's shoulders. "Come on girl, I haven't seen you for years. We have to celebrate."

"I don't know, I haven't even spoken to Ryan yet. He doesn't know I'm back in town and..."

"Bullshit... he can wait." Bee said matter of factly. "You and me getting drunk off our asses is what's more important."

"If you two do decide to drink I suggest you do it at my house," Vic suggested with underlined authority. "When you two are together things get out of hand fairly quickly and I would hate to get a call in the middle of the night that one of you is in jail or... worse..."

"You are far too dramatic."

"Really Kori? Am I?" There was a moment of hesitation before Vic continued. "Three years ago, August fourth... I got a call from the police officer saying he had three women standing before him accused of ..."

"Don't say it," Kori interjected quickly, nervously looking to Richard. "Some of us here aren't aware of how crazy we all were in college and would otherwise prefer to keep it that way."

"It's not like we were streaking, its called skinny dipping and we _did_ invite you." Bee laughed. Now as she said this, numerous reactions took place. Bee remained in laughter, Vic rolled his eyes in disappointment, Richard's brow raised over Kori in disbelief and Kori flushed a deep red. "Besides the officer didn't even arrest us."

"Of course he didn't, he got a good show though." Vic growled.

Kori lowered her forehead to the edge of the table with an embarrassed sigh. "It really did seem like a good idea at the time. But we're older now,... we're adults, you don't have to..."

"Adults my ass!" Vic laughed. "You'll drink at the house, and that's final."

Lunch came and went soon enough, compiled with random conversation, hysteric laughs of memories past, and promises made to ensure an equally as bright future together. As expected as it might have been, Richard, not once felt out of place. Of course, the majority of conversation was directed between the three of them, him left to listen in on the sidelines, but all he was really concerned about was being in Kori's presence. Throughout lunch she had sent him sweet, what he was certain to be innocent smiles, which had turned far less innocent in his own mind, but in any event this was all he needed to be content. And as the meal came to an end, all four of them gathered out front of the restaurant now, goodbyes were made.

Richard headed toward his car then paused as Karen called out to him. She stepped to him and lowered her voice to a whisper. "I can see you have your eyes set on Kori."

He arched a brow. Had he been that obvious? No, he was certain he hadn't. Regardless, he was a master at recovery so this was a situation he found easily avoidable. Clearing his throat he laughed. "What are you talking about? Kori and I are just getting to know one another."

"And does she know Babs exists?" She asked with a matched raised brow.

"Yes, of course she does. I had to be sure she didn't get any ideas about... you know,... all this."

He suddenly felt a sharp tenseness in his chest as she reluctantly gave him a nod. "Well I guess it's a good thing you ended up ditching her all those years ago?"

At her attempt to walk away Richard reached for her arm, pulling her back to his sight. "What do you mean?"

"Two and half years ago... Rachel was against it but I set up that 'blind date' thing for you..." Her laugh shattered all confidence he had in her truly believing he wasn't interested in Kori. "... you bailed because you met Babs remember?" She shrugged. "Looks like you made the right choice."

As Karen walked away Richard passed a glance to Kori; his entire mindset crumbling. Just before he had met Babs he had decided to put his playboy days behind him and become serious and now... now that he had the knowledge of skipping out on a date with Kori in which, no matter how horrible it sounds, he was certain he would have rather preferred... it was as though his mind was set in self destruct mode. He watched, focused on the three of them in the distance, a spark of emotion rising in him as he noticed Kori suddenly turn and make her way toward him slowly.

"Did you enjoy yourself?" She asked, coming to a stop before him, a hand upon her hip, her eyes squinting against the sun beneath her other hand which rest horizontally out against her forehead.

"I did," he said with a far too convincing smile for Kori to believe otherwise. He shoved his hands into his pockets, Kori never finding him more adorable. As he stared down at her smile, he gave off a slight blush. "We should do this again sometime."

"Can I invite anyone I like?" She teased, well aware he had been thoroughly surprised by the lunch she had planned while he expected to have time alone with her.

"What ever you like."

Kori hesitated, passing a glance back to Bee who turned to her waiting for her to return to Vic's car. She raised a finger to signify that she needed a moment then turned back to Richard. "Umm... so do you have to be back at work yet?"

He hesitated. Yes, the correct answer was yes and yet he had no issue with making an exception. "No, why? Are you going to let me give you a ride home?"

She shrugged. "Do you really want to?"

"Definitely."

"It's just that Vic and Bee were going to do a little shopping and I'm feeling a little run down."

He opened the passenger door to his car, placing a hand to the center of her back and gently guiding her to into the car. "Right... not because I'm asking so nicely or anything?"

"No I just... I didn't want you to feel obligated."

He closed the door and ran over to the driver side, Kori giving Bee a wave off before he finally started the car. "Just a warning... I'm taking you somewhere first."

"Oh no... I knew this wasn't so innocent." As he laughed she continued. "What have you got planned up your sleeve Grayson?"

She caught a smirk in the corner of her eye and a glimpse of his baby blues once more from behind his shades before falling silent.

"You'll just have to see Anders."

They drove for a short while, reaching the deeper part of the city before he came to park before a towering building. Kori leaned forward toward the windshield, her eyes taking in the sight of the large art gallery.

"Are we allowed to be here?" She asked as he suddenly appeared at the passenger door, waiting for her to stand.

The moment she was on her feet Richard grabbed for her hand, leading her to the large glass doors. "It's locked." He surfaced a pair of keys from his pocket, pausing as he noticed a nervous look upon Kori's features as she moved closer to him.

"Are you sure we're allowed to be here?" Her voice had lowered to a whisper as if someone was within a remote distance to even hear her.

"I have the keys... of course we are." Taking her hand once more and leading her through the door he chuckled. "I just so happen to know Dick Grayson..." He looked back at her with a childish lopsided smile. "Lucky for you he isn't all that arrogant and selfish as you may assume."

"I see, well, thank him for me the next time he's spotted in the center of a flash mob of women, will ya?"

The instant he flipped the light switch to the building on Richard found himself unable to resist watching her frail figure bounce slightly. Her eyes were wide against the sight before her, high ceilings, elegant paintings lining every wall, the air thick with the smell of paint. She clasped her hands together in front of her chest, a small squeal escaping her.

"This is amazing." Her shoulders perked, then with no amount of hesitation she approached the first line of paintings before them, Richard following closely behind her feeling never more comfortable in silence.

Her soft, emotional voice sounded in a gentle echo around them. "These are so beautiful." She looked back at Richard, a permanent smile fixed on her lips. "I can't believe I actually get to work here... I'm so excited." Her shoulders perked again and another adorable squeal escaped her as she continued down the curved exhibit path.

"Have you really never been here before?" He asked, her mind focused more on the paintings than him and as a result her voice carried on in a distracted, somewhat angelicly smooth tone.

"No... I haven't..." She paused, moving closer to one of the paintings, her eyes squinting over its dark shades of color. "Have you?"

He could have lied to make it seem less odd that he was suddenly interested in coming here now but in reality he didn't know enough about this place, only that Bruce funded it, so he decided to be honest. "No."

Her playful eyes turned to him now and she waved him over. "Then come here. You have to see this up close."

He unintentionally tuned out as she began to point out certain details of the image before them, drawing attention to certain methods the artists used or the type of style the painting was qualified as but all he heard was the symphony of her voice; the words themselves lost in translation. His mind was focused on her features and the emotion held within them. Her eyes he had never seen more bright, more enthusiastic, never more enchanting, her eyebrows tensed in utter focus, her lips in an ever-changing pucker of focus, her voice determined to bring him into her world with an immediate form of underlined appreciation for every detail encompassed in the art of painting, and while he caught words here and there, it wasn't more fascinating than merely watching her exist beside him.

She pulled at his arm now, forcing him around another one of the corners, a new set of paintings falling into view. He wasn't sure how long they had been there or how much longer they would be, nor did he care, she was happy that's really all that mattered in at this point.

It wasn't until they reached one of the higher floors of the building that he recognized one of the paintings as her own. As she paused before a large painting he smiled. "This one is my favorite."

She looked to him rolling her eyes. "You're ridiculous."

"What?"

"You mean to tell me you didn't already know this was my piece?"

He shrugged. "So what if I did?"

She waved a finger at him, her feet moving once more, his following without hesitation. He paused from watching her as she came to a halt before a large, colorful painting. He watched her expression soften and step toward it. She didn't say anything about it and he had already done enough research on her pieces of art to know this wasn't hers but the way she stared back at it so fixated, it really caught his attention. She was focused on this piece of art in a far different way than any other in the exhibit they had already seen. The emotion on her face was undefined to him and yet he couldn't help but feel this particular painting spoke to her in a way he, himself, could never understand. Taking a mental note of it, he remained silent as she lingered in front of it for a long while before finally resuming her exploration.

They spent another good hour viewing each of the paintings, their conversation consumed with giggles and taunts back to one another. And as it finally came to a halt, they headed back to the spiraled staircase that would return them to the first floor.

With a hand upon the railing she turned to look up at Richard with a sigh. "This was really sweet... thank you."

"Of course. I enjoyed seeing you in your own environment."

Reaching the first floor once more, Richard suddenly felt weak in the knees. She smiled that sweet smile that had vexed him so, her shyness taking over as her eyes studied the colorful carpet beneath them, her right toe digging into the ground. "I really hope you aren't going to get into any trouble for breaking in here for me."

"Not at all. I had the keys remember? It's fine."

"Are you sure you're not going to get yelled at for being late to return to work?"

"I told you a million times not to worry about it."

"Well, thank you. I appreciate your efforts to cheer me up."

"Cheer you up?"

She rolled her eyes as they stepped out into the day again. Her eyes avoided his once more as her tremors of awkwardness set in again. "I just... I realize you wanted to have time alone with me but I was afraid I already knew the reason." She looked to him with a reluctant smile as he locked the gallery doors. "The truth is... I'm not really ready to talk about Komi and I know you just want to help but... I'm fine... really. Surely you can understand that."

Hands in his pockets now, he shrugged. "I just think it'll be good if you can talk about her. I know its hard but it helps believe me."

"I know."

"I want you to know that I'm here for you and that ... " Kori's breath hitched in her throat as his expression turned serious. The sight of his dark brows as they burrowed above his piercing blue eyes caught her in a state of intense emotion. "...you can come to me with anything."

She stepped into him, hugging him gently. She was trying to control the thickness of her breath at his charm which had only gotten worse with time. "Thank you Richard. I had a great time with you today."

He lingered in her gaze then catching himself he quickly cleared his throat, leaning toward the passenger door to his car and holding it open for her. "Any time, but I'm not giving up on you. I still think we need to talk about her."

The look on Kori's face summoned an undesired urge within him to stop holding back and just kiss her in this moment, but he knew he couldn't. It wouldn't be fair to her, to him, or to Babs, but regardless, the craving was still present, lingering in an unflinching strength. Her eyes had softened, their once stunning, bubbly green had shifted to a clouded deep emerald, her chest raising in a deep inhale before she quickly looked away from him, giving him the chance to prepare for her next words.

"You're probably right..." She bit at her lip nervously. "Maybe..." Her eyes met his in worry. "Maybe we could talk about it... soon."

"Tonight?"

She laughed. "That's a little sooner than I would like."

Indescribably drawn into her gaze, he lifted a hand to her face, brushing a stray hair from her sight and tucked it behind her ear; unaffected of the blush that stung at his cheeks. "I'm just glad you agreed to finally spend a little time alone with me." His grin remained frozen across his features and he leaned into her kissing at her forehead.

She swallowed hard trying to suppress the emotion that rang through her at the presence of his soft touch. "So... what now? Back to Vic's?"

"If you want."

She raised a brow. "What's Babs doing tonight? Maybe you could invite her to Vic's tonight so I can finally meet her."

Richard nodded. "Sure. I can't promise she'll come though."

"Will you be there?"

Richard smiled as Kori suddenly looked back at him wide-eyed. He could tell she would have rather not had asked him that question but the fact that she did only proved she was enjoying his company just as much as he yearned for hers. "Yea, I'll be there. I wanna ask you something tonight anyway."

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**

Returning to work, Richard's mind was still focused on the inevitable truth that he was falling more and more in ... love? I don't know about that. Lust? Perhaps this was more of the reality and yet it didn't matter what the truth was, all that did matter was that it was Kori, all the time, everyday, every night, on his mind and no matter how he tried he couldn't make it stop; and if he was being honest with himself, he was at a point where he wasn't sure he wanted it to. The only thing that complicated all of this was...

"There you are."

"Babs?" He called out to the red-head standing just outside his office. His eyes narrowed. What purpose could she have at being here? Speaking to him in such a condescending manner? He may have feelings for another women but he had in no way made an actual move with them, nor had he planned to. Sure, he had urges in certain instances to just give in to his old ways but he wouldn't do that to Babs; she was far too important to him for such betrayal.

He knew he had to make a decision about his feelings sooner or later but he had firmly chosen to wait until later. This hesitancy he felt with her only worsening at her presence. As I mentioned before, he loved her, he really did which is why he couldn't understand how any of what was going on with Kori was even possible. He didn't want to lose Babs but at the same time he could feel that Dick Grayson playboy side scraping at the surface; no matter how hard he tried to ignore it and smother it with the actual love he still had for Babs... unfortunately his old ways had recently become more dominant.

"Hey Dick," Babs said, giving him an awkward smile. "Forget something?"

His mind wavered for a moment, then as the realization hit him his eyes clasped shut in frustration. "Shit, Babs, I'm sorry. We were suppose to have lunch today."

"Yep,..." She sighed.

"Why didn't you call to remind me?"

"I figured it must have been important if you bailed on me..." her eyes found his in an annoyed glare. "...again."

Richard stepped to her placing his arms around her and drawing her into him. Sending a kiss to her forehead, he sighed. "I'll make it up to you. I promise."

She pulled away from him. "We need to talk."

"Uh, alright." He said, somewhat confused as he lead her into his office. Her overall distant demeanor and vacant eyes seemed to rise suspicion in him. But for what? As she leaned her body against his desk, giving way to a deep inhale, his brow arched. "Is something wrong?"

If he was feeling any amount of conflict before, it tripled as she crossed her arms in front of her chest, looking to him with a hint of omnipotence. She licked at her lips and said, "I'm just going to go ahead and make this easy for you."

"Make what easy for me?" He asked, truly unsure of her intentions.

She shook her head, her hair swaying at her shoulders as a sarcastic laugh crept from her lips. "Look, I'd have to be an idiot not to see that you're distant with me lately."

"Have I been? I don't mean to be."

She raised her hand to silence him. "Look, I'm not saying your cheating because I honestly do believe you care enough about me to at least remain faithful. No, that's not my concern." She adjusted her posture, another deep inhale coaxing her calm tone to return. "For months you've been this guy that's just... gone."

"Gone?"

She nodded, positioning her weight off the desk and stepping toward him. Her eyes seemed to stare right into his deceitful thoughts, not that he had acted on them, but they were very much alive. "I don't know what sparked this sudden change, whether it was me or someone else..." she shook her head. "... but I can see you turning back to man you once were and I..."

He waved his hands defensively before him, taking a step closer to her. "Hold on... what are you talking about? How have I been ... gone? What does that even mean?"

"Dick..." she said annoyed.

"No..." he was becoming more agitated with each passing awkward second. "Babs, you're gonna have to be a hell of a lot more specific if I'm going to understand where you're coming from with all this."

She took a moment to absorb the concern in his eyes before she continued. "I just... "

"You said months... when exactly did all this start?"

"I don't know, two maybe three months ago. You just started being... different around me. We would be in the same room but it was like you were never further away. We would have conversation and it was... well, for me it was all one-sided. You had these brief, emotionless answers as if your mind was constantly somewhere else."

He shut his eyes, a hand on his forehead as he tried to think back to the past few months. Was he really that focused on Kori since he met her? Was Rachel in fact right when she said he was obsessed? He didn't know, but if anything losing Babs was not something he really wanted. Prepared for it or not, Kori or not, he didn't want this.

With hands rubbing at her arms now, he pulled her closer to him. "Babs... we can talk through this. If I've been distant I'm sorry; I hadn't realized, but..." he gave her a weak smile. "Just don't be upset. We'll work through this."

His heart succumbed to a jolt as she backed away from him, shaking her head. "I'm trying to make this as painless as possible. I don't..."

"Don't do this Babs."

"Dick,... look, I knew when I started dating you that it was never going to be forever. I knew it was momentary and I'm happy with the length of time we managed to survive but... at the end of the day you're still Dick Grayson, playboy; you don't make commitment; you don't want it and that's something I do." She sighed heavily, Richard remaining wide-eyed in shock. "I can tell you've got your mind on something else, or someone else and I don't care which it is... I just don't want to be apart of it anymore." She leaned into him, giving a soft kiss to his lips then stepped passed him to walk away.

He was motionless for a brief moment before turning and grabbing her by the arm gently. As her emotionless eyes stared back at him, he said, "This is ridiculous. Babs, I'll do better, I'll be better. If you want..."

"I want you to be happy, Dick, and with me you're just not anymore. So I'm setting you free like I always knew one day I'd have to."

His anger came into full flare now, his pride shattered. "Are you doing this because there's someone else."

She laughed slightly, all too familiar with his sudden bursts of anger. "No... no there isn't, but someday there will be, and there will be for you too."

"Wait... just... give me a chance, one chance to change your mind."

He was pleased as Babs came to a halt. Her eyes narrowed at him and she crossed her arms in front of her once again. "I'm listening."

"Tonight, you, me,... one chance..." He shrugged helplessly. "That's all I need."

As his hands lowered to her waist she laced hers around his neck. "Well, it better be special this time around."

"It will be."

A devious smile played at her lips. "Well, I guess I'll let you get back to work." She paused before the office door giving him a quick peck on the lips, her hand trailing down his chest flirtatiously. "I'm looking forward to tonight."

"Me too." He smiled, and yet apart of him wasn't entirely sure that he was.

With one last smile she was gone, just gone, her emotionless behavior scarring him without warning. He knew without a doubt this was his fault and it didn't matter that he had never actually betrayed his relationship with Babs, it was almost ruined because he had practically forced her hand; this alone tore at his thoughts. The mere idea of seeing Kori was one that brought him into a further rage. It was her, not intentionally, but it was the power she had over him that this all took place, not that he blamed her.

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**

**Vic's house**

"Canon Ball!" Sounded Vic's strong voice as he took a leap from the diving board of his pool, a raging splash rippling through the water as his body collided into it.

Kori's giggle fell silent as Karen poured her another shot. The two girls sat at the edge of the pool, their feet dipped into the water up to their knees.

"So..." Karen said, downing her shot then looking to Kori again. "Good idea or what? You, me and Vic, aside from Rachel it's just like college."

Kori nodded. "I'm really enjoying myself."

Noticing a small amount of disappointment in Kori's expression Karen elbowed her. "What's wrong?"

Kori's mind flashed blank, her eyes previously looking back to the sliding glass door to the house. We all know what, or rather who, she was waiting for but he had yet to show. "Oh, uh,... nothing."

Karen studied her a moment longer, Kori's head tilting back as she took her shot of tequila but again, as she situated herself once more, her eyes seemed to hold this sense of disappointment. "You've got a thing for Dick... don't you?"

"What?" Kori's eyes widened. The blush on her face sold her out and while she was well aware of it, she couldn't make it go away nor could she control the raised volume of her voice as it squealed guiltily. "What... no. He's ... he's been a good friend that's all. He said he'd be here."

Karen rolled her eyes. "You don't have to be embarrassed with me, its Rachel you have to be concerned about. If she finds out you..."

"I don't, alright!"

Karen took to laughter now. "Look, you're not the only one... ninety percent of this damn town is after him. Don't worry I wont say anything."

Kori shook her head violently and followed as Karen stood walking toward the umbrella table to their left. "Seriously Karen I don't."

"Fine, ... whatever. I just don't want to see you get hurt. It's practically his job in this town to break hearts, just because he's with Babs now and has been faithful doesn't mean the old him isn't still clawing at the surface. And you... you shouldn't fall for his charm."

"Whose charm?"

Both girl's jumped, turning slowly at the sound of Richard's voice. Kori honestly could have fainted at the sight of him. He looked back at them with a raised brow, his crystalline blue eyes shimmering brightly against the dark night that surrounded them.

At their silence, Richard's soft lips which she had remembered so fondly spread in a devious smirk. "You two talking about me?"

Kori swallowed hard, a nervous giggle making an appearance once more before her embarrassed tone of voice made an appearance. "I'm... I'm gonna go throw up now."

Richard laughed thinking she took him for arrogance instead of the joking manner he had intended. "Kori I'm just kidding."

She gave him a brief nod then disappeared into the house, leaving a glaring Karen buzzing back at him.

"What?" He shrugged innocently. In truth he hadn't really heard what the two were talking about and was trying to do nothing more then lighten the mood of their serious voices when he had approached but now things seemed oddly misconstrued.

Karen's eyes narrowed angrily at him. "You keep your distance from her or I will sick Rachel on you."

"What did I do?"

She rolled her eyes. "Kori's attracted to you just like any other girl in this city would be so cut her some slack; stop trying to spend so much time with her. When I texted to tell you not to come tonight... I meant it." She shoved at his chest with an annoyed grunt as he smiled back at her unaffected by her words. "You're an idiot."

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**

"Kori," Richard called, his voice carrying off down the length of the empty hallway as he entered it. He found her in her room, a kitten tucked against her chest as she kissed at his fur. "You coming back out?"

He gave his all not to allow himself permission to admire the exposed flesh of her bikini covered body but the sight was far too intoxicating to ignore.

"Yea, give me one second." She paused stepping to him. Grabbing a small dress she tossed it over her head fitting it down over her bathing suite then looked to him. "It's already getting late, I wasn't sure you'd make it."

He sighed. Having to convince Babs to stay with him was easy, having to ignore the existence and overall obsession of Kori in his mind during the time spent with Babs... that was difficult. "Uh, ... yea something came up."

"Where's Babs?"

"She couldn't make it but she'll be there tomorrow."

"What's tomorrow?" She asked, following him down the hallway.

"This is what I wanted to ask you about. It's the weekend before Christmas and we, all of us, we normally spend it at the Manor; a friend tradition... thing..." He shook his head, annoyed at his inability to deliver this request in a well thought out and charming manner.

"And?"

"And while I know Vic has probably mentioned it to you.."

"He hasn't."

"Okay well, I was hoping you'd ... you know, be there."

She smiled, stepping back out into the night as he slid the door open and waited for her to pass. "Yea, I'll think about it."

"That's the best answer you have?"

"Vic's not really going to give me a choice so... yea, I guess I'll be there. I'm excited to meet Babs finally."

Richard swallowed hard. "Yea... that'll be... interesting."

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**

**(A/N) To be clear this is a RobStar fanfic so... for those of you with me on this... hang in there.**


	5. A Step Too Far?

**Chapter Five: A Step Too Far?**

Kori sat in her room, her body stretched out across her bed, the kitten known as Silkie snug against her chest. A hand playfully scratching at his belly while her giggles encouraged his retracting claws that kneaded back and forth on the comforter beneath them. It had been a very interesting past few days and today, she was certain, would be no different and this instance of silence and comfort was all she needed to regain the small amount of sanity she had left. She found herself pondering the inevitable fact that in this juncture in her life there wasn't anything actually wrong, and yet at the very same time, nothing was even remotely right, so why did she sit and lay awake all night? True, her mind had a habit of wandering recklessly in the wee hours of the suns' prolonged disappearance but this seemed different; it felt cataclysmic; as if this weekend would prove to be an event in which she wasn't particularly sure would end well. Wandering thoughts continued to bring back the scenario the night before when Richard had requested her presence at this weekend tradition and after hours of contemplating every possible emotion she felt then, it was never more clear to her now. The moment the words slipped from his mouth she had wanted to decline his offer and yet as that moment passed another arose, and it would be his eyes, those electrifyingly blue eyes that would sway her to never deny him anything. Which alone, these feelings that only seemed to heighten for him, they were nothing but wrong. He was taken and why she couldn't help but realize that he had seemed rather affectionate and darling toward her just as much as she was, it didn't really make any of it right. Right?

Moving on...

Lets take a pause to officially understand what this utterly confused and conflicted red-head was actually feeling in this precise second. Hangover? Check. Exhausted from a sleepless night consisting of an endless reel of soaring thoughts refusing to go unacknowledged? Check. Annoying friend trying to pry you out of bed far too soon? Double check.

"Kori, are you packed?" Vic yelled down the hallway, bright an early the very next morning; the only reason she had become aware of morning at all was at the result of Vic banging on her door shouting at her to begin her daily routine of getting ready to which he had dubbed impossibly to time consuming.

As mentioned, she had been greeted to this glorious day with an always elegant hangover as a result of her celebratory night out with Bee and was otherwise not looking forward to doing anything but laying in bed; not that Vic would allow it. She was suppose to attend this traditional weekend among friends at the wondrous Manor. Sure, it sounded great in theory but she couldn't resist the urge her thoughts gravitated towards in the truth that there would be far too many familiar faces from her past huddled around her in one room to which she wasn't sure she was ready to revolve around for the entirety of the weekend; not to mention the fact that they may not be ready to see her either.

Her voice traveled back to him in an annoyed echo of a whimper. "I really don't see why you're making me attend this holiday weekend. I hardly know Richard; wont it be... awkward staying in his house?"

"It's not just his house, its Rachel's and more importantly Bruce's so you don't have anything to worry about. Besides Rachel and Dick each have their own apartments, and only stay at the Manor when its convenient for them. Now quit stalling, let's go, everyone's already there. Dick's called me at least three times already." As Kori appeared in the hallway in a large black coat and jeans, no luggage at her side Vic rolled his eyes hands out his sides. "What are you doing? Where's all your stuff?"

"Look, I decided I wasn't going to stay the night." The honest truth in this moment would be to say that aside from all the people which would emerge from her past in this one weekend, the only thing that made her nervous to the point of no return was the idea of having to witness Richard and Babs together. Sure, she had done a swell job at pretending and even convincing herself as though her feelings for him hadn't heightened in the very least, but in reality they had.

Following her to the front door Vic sighed. "Come on Kor, I don't want you to have to be here all alone? I'm staying the night, everyone is."

Kori shrugged innocently. "I already decided Vic. Besides,..." She opened the front door, motioning for Vic to exit. "... I think I'll rather enjoy my night alone. I have a deadline for the gallery and the peace and quiet will give me time to start what I should have long ago."

"Painters block?" Vic laughed entering his car alongside Kori who took to the driver's side of hers.

"I guess you could say that."

"Alright, but if you need anything... anything at all I'm just a phone call away."

"I'll be fine. I am an adult you know."

"Could have fooled me," he mumbled under his breath as he packed his luggage into the back fo the car.

"I heard that."

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**

"Where are they?" Richard mumbled to himself as he reentered the living room, joining the group of friends that lined the couches; Vic and Kori still having not arrived. The small group consisting of only Babs, Richard, Roy, Wally and Karen; Rachel had yet to arrive back from her night spent on call at the hospital and a few others had issues with arrival so far.

He knew this weekend would be nothing short of a struggle for composure; his mind having to perfectly depict a false amount of distance within the relationship between himself and Kori while in the presence of Babs who was already suspicious of his actions. The only difference, he had come to realize, between the 'him' he was around Babs and the 'him' he was in front of Kori was the exact line that separated Richard from the famed Dick Grayson. As confusing as that sounds it was nothing but the truth.

Stepping past the living room and entering the kitchen for silence he finally gave in to the anxious nerves that had began to tremble within him from the moment he awoke today and called Kori, the mere sound of her voice as she answered made his time spent waiting for them to arrive all worth while.

"Kori where are you guys?"

Kori's voice sounded muffled against the obvious traffic they were stuck in, a fact Richard was pleased by since it only confirmed they had already headed toward the Manor. "We're almost there. Do not worry, I told you I would be there and I will."

He smiled, leaning forward on his arms against the counter beside him, a blush at his cheeks. There was something about her voice that brought a sense of tranquility to him, while a unexplained reason, it was never more true than in this instant. "And you're only several hours late."

"In my defense I never said when I would be there only that I would."

He swallowed hard as her giggle sounded in an intoxicating vibration as it was delivered directly to his ear. Clearing his throat, he looked down at the counter top, his index finger tracing imaginary circles as he spoke. "Right and what, may I ask took you so long?"

"You were there last night, I drank way more than I should have and beyond a hangover, you are well aware how long my hair is, but do you have even the slightest clue as to how long it takes to blow dry it and make it presentable? I think not."

"Well,... " he chuckled, "Just hurry and get here."

"We will."

As Kori's end of the line hung up, Richard lowered his phone from his ear and stared down at it. Sure this weekend would be difficult to transition with but he was looking forward to seeing her; nothing was ever too much effort when these were the stakes.

"What was that laugh?" Came a suspicious voice.

Richard's body jolted slightly at the realization that he was no longer alone in the kitchen. Clearing his throat, he stood upright, stuffing his phone back into his pocket. "Babs,... I didn't hear you come in."

She stepped to him, her eyes narrowing. "What was that laugh I just heard?"

"What?"

"That laugh... I've never heard you laugh like that before."

Richard swallowed hard, did he really have different laughs, different enough for anyone to notice? "Uh,.. it was just a laugh."

She paused, staring at him as if reading his features would actually be able to shed some light on why he seemed so odd in behavior to her, but she would never break passed the beloved 'Wayne' stern front. "Who was on the phone?"

"Vic." He lied...

"Is he almost here?"

"Yea, they'll be here soon."

"They?" She asked as he tried to step passed her, her voice finding a more suspicious tone.

Richard froze, his eyes shut... how could he have not mentioned Kori by now? Oh, that's right, it was just easier not to.

"Vic's bringing one of his old friends. I thought I told you that already?" He spouted off lie number two.

Babs placed her arms around him and gave him a peck on the lips. Her voice remained playful but Richard knew by the lingering arch of her brows that she was anything but. "And who is this friend?"

"It's just some girl he used to go to college with, K... something. I ... I don't really know her." Well, well, well, lie number three. These are accumulating quickly.

Taking his hand into hers she squeezed it tightly. "You're acting very jumpy."

His eyes avoided hers in an attempt to quickly change the subject. "So... did Rachel arrive yet?"

"No, but..."

"There you are," Roy said, stepping to them, his demeanor anxious as he scratched at his auburn hair while Richard remained never more thankful for an interruption. "I thought you said you invited Kori?"

"I did. Vic hasn't even arrived yet so don't worry about it. I'm sure they'll be here soon."

"Who's Kori?" Babs asked, her mind focused on the desperation of Roy's voice. She hadn't heard this playboy ever seem so expectant of one single woman; the mere fact he was arose humor in her. "Some girl got you hooked, huh?"

Roy rolled his eyes, forcing a casual and confident demeanor to take over. "Yea right,..." As Babs separated herself from the two, Roy placed a hand upon Richard's shoulder, bringing his footing to a halt. "Look, Dick, I need your help this weekend."

And just like that, the trigger for lack of patience where Roy and Kori were concerned was flipped; resulting in him becoming increasingly frustrated with Roy's presence. The thought of him every being with Kori was one he wished he could forget and yet, it was something he needed to pay attention to as a result of Kori and him being thrust into this weekend together. He wasn't sure Kori still had feelings for Roy but Roy seemed far too interested in getting back with her, or not even that, he was certainly not willing to give up his playboy ways for one girl from his past. Was he? Either way, Richard had no amount of patience for him.

"I'm not helping you with anything."

"Alright well..." Began Babs as the three entered the living room. She laced her arms around Richards neck again and drew him in for a kiss. "I'm going to leave. I'll be quick, just going to grab some clothes and then I'm all yours for the weekend."

"Good," He said kissing at her once more before she left. The silence in the room as the door shut drew him from his thoughts. No, not thoughts about Babs but rather Kori... and how this weekend was sure to either make or break his relationship based upon his ability to be disciplined or not; a fact he was sure to be easier said then done. He rolled his eyes at the discovery of Karen glaring at him from across the room as though she was right along side his mind, anticipating his every thought and concern about Kori. "What?"

She crossed one leg over the other, a hand resting beneath her chin now and a sinister gleam in her eyes. "Oh nothing, this weekend should be... fun."

Ignoring the obvious display of Karen's gaze of an attack on Richard, Roy looked to him with a heavy sigh and tapped him on the shoulder once more in an attempt to fully clasp his attention. "Look man, Kori's... she's... this is the perfect opportunity to get her back and I..."

"And why would I help you?"

Roy's cerulean eyes hardened. "Back in the day you and I used to be the best team, and right now I need my wing-man back. Just for the weekend."

"Kori's my friend, why would I set her up with someone who would only use her?"

Roy gave a snorted chuckle. "Come on man, I'm your friend and... and Kori seems to be closer to you right now so..."

Richard smiled back at Roy, enjoying the truth of his words then with a shrug said, "I'm not helping you."

"You really going to try to hook up with Kori again?" Karen laughed; her voice depicting without a doubt there was no possibility it would actually be a successful attempt; all eyes on Roy now.

He gave an arrogant shrug. "I don't think it'll be all that hard."

Wally, who had previously remained zoned into his phone in the corner of the room but having heard pieces of their conversation was pulled from his concentration at the display of Roy's confidence, a laugh bringing everyone to look in his direction. "You really don't know when to stop do you? How many times has Kori already turned you down since she's been back?"

Richard found himself facing Roy now, interested in his response but looked to Karen as she interrupted. "Apparently not enough times to actually allow Roy's small brain to get the point that she isn't interested." Her and Roy shared a quick glare. "I would quit trying before she embarrasses you. If she had any desire to sleep with you... trust me, she already would have."

With a roll of his eyes, ego shattered, Roy took his place beside Wally, the two now diving deeper into the discussion of Kori among themselves. And as Richard tried to take his seat he became still at the sound of the doorbell; Vic's loud voice mumbling through the door impatiently. He acknowledged one last taunt of a smirk from Karen before making his way toward the door, a tightness in his chest now and his palms sweaty.

"Vic... you finally made it." he announced the moment the door swung open.

"That's right, sorry we're a little late,..." he shoved at Kori in a playful manner. "... princess here couldn't make a decision on whether she was staying the weekend or not."

Vic immediately moved passed him in a rush, leaving Richard's attention to fall on Kori. His mind had completely lost control over its desired direction, his eyes trailing over her appearance. The only feasibly comprehensible word that managed to form was a dazed, ever so brilliant..." hey." Kori's smile beamed up at him and she leaned into him for an embrace. "Why aren't you staying?"

"I don't know. I wasn't sure it was such a good idea."

"Of course it is."

Taking her coat, unaware of the intense eyes that watched them, he sent her a disappointed sigh. "I really wish you would reconsider."

The two had fallen into another one of their gazes which only came to a halt at the sound of Karen clearing her throat; their moment disintegrated into now sheepish smiles and awkward avoidance of eye contact. Regardless, Kori's calm returned and she smiled entering further into the house, scanning over the crowd of people before her. "Hey guys." Richard remained otherwise speechless as she stepped passed him, making her way straight to Karen for a quick embrace before sitting. "Roy."

"And why wouldn't you be staying the weekend like the rest of us?" Karen asked, knowing Kori was still somewhat awkward around Richard and it was this reason alone she knew Kori would try to separate herself from him. A passing assumption that became nothing short of a fact by the expression that overcame Kori's features.

"I..." She suddenly became fidgety. "I have a lot of work I should get done. A few nights alone will be good for me."

"I'm gonna put these back in my room," Vic interjected before taking to the hallway.

"So... Kori... I was hoping you and I could..." Began Roy before Kori could interrupt.

"Let me stop you right there because I am fairly certain I know where this is going and I have made myself perfectly clear with you that... I need time."

The distaste in her tone and the overall annoyance in her expression which settled over Roy brought an unimaginable sense of relief coursing through Richard's veins; perhaps this weekend wouldn't prove a problem where Roy was concerned. Then again, maybe it would, she didn't exactly decline Roy anything merely postponed any amount of interaction with him. And if there was one major concern other than Richard's own interaction between Babs and Kori it was smiling back at Kori seductively in this precise instant and took the form of none other than his closest friend Roy Harper. As childish as it sounds, the above referenced 'closest friend' situation had recently become tainted by the reality that Roy had once possessed Kori in a way Richard, himself, desired; whether or not it was ever a possibility. Which of course, regardless of his friendship with Roy, the main predicament was being able to keep his distance from Kori without hurting her feelings yet keeping Babs' suspicion at bay, while also keeping a close eye on Roy and his intentions for this weekend. Ugh, this weekend had seemed like such a great idea in his mind but now that it was unraveling before him... he was quickly reconsidering his position in the matter.

"Where's Rachel?" Kori asked, noticing her missing.

It was now that Richard caught a glimpse of Kori's quick glance to him which only made things complicated in this moment. What was this undefined look he had just been given? Why did it have an effect on him in such the magnitude it did? Damn, Babs wasn't even here at present and things already seemed drenched in tension.

Clearing his throat and situating himself on the couch beside her, rather pleased as she turned away slightly from Karen, giving her attention to him fully now, he said, "Uh, she should be back soon."

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**

The day had carried on more than pleasant enough, but the main thing to draw attention to in all of this was the mere fact that Babs still hadn't returned; initially the tension that would arise, the person Richard knew he would have to become at her arrival... it would obviously complicate things. But for now it was all just fun.

The small group had dove headfirst into conversation as they waiting for more people to show up. All that was missing was Babs, Kori's brother Ryan who had upon hearing Kori was in town had suddenly called to confirm his expectancy, and a very familiar face who had not yet been mentioned. This last one would be someone who would inevitably cause more issues in itself then anything else that could arise in one day.

For the majority of the time, so far, Kori had remained at a distance from Richard, but he knew it wasn't her choice but rather Karen's who had brought a stop to any amount of communication between them. As of now, Kori sat beside him in the living room, speaking enthusiastically with Karen but was ever so often brought to a halt to display her annoyance for Roy's flirtatious behavior that would assert itself now and again. The conversation, in whole, had involved each of them together, whether it be passed memories or more recent ones that Kori may not have been associated with but was otherwise pleased to learn of. Laughter... that was the main thing to take from all of this. It was a moment of utter release among this group who Richard had clearly discovered held a sort of unspoken grudge with Kori and he was otherwise pleased to see how well she held herself together even in some of the more awkward scenarios discussed.

The entire room fell into an abrupt silence as the front door of the Manor shut with a loud bang, heavy footsteps headed toward them. Within seconds a very displeased Rachel stood, her mood groggy and restless before them. She glanced around the room with a curt exhale.

"Busy night at the hospital?" Karen asked, drawing Rachel from her moment of silence and knowing perfectly well her comment would be ignored.

Rachel stood, eyes bloodshot, clothes mangled and dirty, her hair frizzed, and more importantly,... her sarcasm and temperamental attitude in full flare. She looked to Richard with a growl as he made his way toward her, taking her coat. "I just spent the last thirty six hours listening to people whine, and complain, and cry, and bitch, ... I'm tired, I'm starving, and I need a shower,..." she paused motioning to Karen, Kori, Wally, Vic, and Roy. "...I have no patience for any of these fuckers right now. So out of the kindness of your heart.." her glare focused ever harder on Richard now. "... make sure when I come back there is something for me to eat or I might just lose it."

Richard smiled, then leaning down to Rachel he gave her an adoring kiss upon the top of the head and motioned to the hallway. "I'll see what I can do."

Stepping back from him she directed a finger at him violently. "You better be joking."

"Of course I am. Just go... shower. I'll take care of it."

Richard hadn't had the opportunity to speak alone with Kori which , in itself, was somewhat disappointing to him because he was hoping to get a chance to share a moment with her before Babs arrived and his time would be spent continuously convincing her that he was dedicated to her and her alone, but as he stood to seek out Alfred he noticed Kori step away from the room and head out of the house for as she had announced, 'some fresh air', he suddenly felt drawn to her. This was his chance...

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**

A loud growl erupted from the temperamental vixen known as Rachel, startling everyone as she made her way back down the hallway in a fit of anger. She daggered a glare to each person individually as if trying to find the person responsible for her sudden rage.

"Who did it?" She snarled.

"Did what Rachel?" Karen asked.

This earned an uneasy, somewhat devilish laugh from Rachel. She held her phone in her hand, raising it to their vision, her teeth grinding viciously. "Who the fuck told Gar about Kori being back in town?" The lack of answers that provided themselves with their blank stares even further fed her temper. She shook her head looking down at the phone. "Why is it that I just received a text from him saying he'll be here tomorrow?"

The room grew cold, the faces of each of them hollowing in the horror of memories past. It wasn't Gar himself that was responsible for such a reaction, just the scenario he represented in that the last time Kori was seen before she vanished, him being in her presence, that sparked it.

Rachel was pacing now, her fists clenched in an attempt to suppress her anger. "How are we going to deal with this? He can't just show up here. Who the hell doe she think he is just waltzing back into Gotham with only a random text as a warning? Kori will be devastated."

"Not to mention the sexual tension between you guys that will pick up right where it left off." Wally said with a slight laugh hoping to lighten the mood, but merely shrunk in his seat as that blinding scowl of Rachel's narrowed over him.

"I..." Karen searched for a proper solution but found nothing in the confines of her shocked mind. "I don't know what to think about this. This could be bad."

"Maybe not. Lets not jump to conclusions," Roy offered. "Maybe Kori will need this. Its been years since..."

"Try and dress it up as nicely as you can, Roy,.." As she spoke Rachel's gaze turned cold, her voice depicting nothing other than bit back rage. "... sprinkle it with as many positive outlooks as you can but you know as well as I that Kori wont be able to handle seeing him after what happened."

"She's right. The only question now is who is going to tell her?" The room fell silent at Karen's words; none willing to walk into that trap. Karen's patience for the situation suddenly faltered and she took a step toward the center of the room with determination. "Someone has to tell her. We can't just let her be ambushed by him."

"If we tell her who's to say she wont just run again?" Rachel snorted, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"He's already coming here so there's no way to change it. Rachel, maybe you ... maybe you should tell her."

She shook her head feverishly. "Yea right. I'm not good at that kind of stuff. If anything I'll end up making her leave again. No, I say we just pretend like we don't know."

"We can't.'" Karen sighed.

"Sure we can." Rachel's laugh echoed in the obvious lack of concern for Kori's feelings in this situation. "Kori's betrayed us enough, this is the same thing."

"What? Rachel we aren't kids anymore." Wally growled, a hand scratching at his red mop of hair. "We have to tell her. Her coming back is proof enough that she needs us now more than ever. We can't hold grudges about the past."

"Sure we can. I sure as hell do."

Karen released another heavy sigh, giving Rachel a displeased look. "Just... it doesn't matter how we feel about all this we can't _not_ tell her." Her eyes scanned over everyone. "So... who's it gonna be?"

"I'll do it," Roy offered.

"Right, because that'll work." There was a prolonged silence before Rachel rolled her eyes, a thought crossing her mind. "Where's Dick?"

"We can't have Dick ask her Rachel, he doesn't even know about what happened that night. Kori would become an emotional wreck in front of him and he wouldn't even understand why."

Rachel shrugged carelessly, lifting her phone to her sight once more. "He's the best option we have. I don't understand it but Kori seems to be able to remain calm with him. If he tells her it will be easier on all of us; including Kori."

"And when Dick starts asking questions about Kori and Gar?"

"I'll handle him when that happens just... forget I said anything. I'll take care of it."

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**

Richard paused at the back sliding glass door, the vision of Kori sitting before him; a vibrant streak of crimson hair fluttering with the cool breeze against the white snow bringing her entire essence into further heightened beauty. Clearing his throat he made his way toward her. "Hey, can I join you?"

She sat at the edge of the back porch, hugging at her knees and a look of desperation in her eyes. "Of course."

"A little too intense for you in there?"

She sighed, turning to him as he sat beside her. "Uh, well,... I think I'm handling it alright."

"You are... but that wasn't my question."

"Its not too bad." She replied lifelessly as she brought her attention back to the gloomy sky.

"You know, I can understand feeling the need to hold composure in front of your older friends that have a clearly judgmental eye on you but this is me..." he sent her a comforting smirk, elbowing her gently earning one of those smiles he had become so fond of. Bringing his voice to a whisper he leaned his head toward her in a playful manner. "...if you were to be honest with me... I promise I wouldn't say a word to anyone."

Kori giggled now, then brushed a stray hair behind her, leaving her hand to rest on her own shoulder with a deep exhale. "I guess... I mean, ..." She paused, looking to him and finding herself trapped in his piercing gaze which only made her mind collapse against any amount of hesitancy she had to speak about her past. "I just... I haven't talked to anyone in two years. There are just so many factors involved with each person here; so many memories; so much betrayal. Now they're all here and they look at me as though they aren't judging but I know better." She elbowed him back now. "If you can tell then it must be more than obvious." His endearing smile faded as her voice suddenly saddened. "I just don't even know where to begin. Should I apologize for leaving? Do I mimic them and pretend as though everything's fine and dandy or...? I don't know." She paused releasing a growl of frustration into the air, her body turning toward him once again, her tone expressing more of her true emotions now. "I mean, take Roy for example, when I left I was still with him but obviously that's changed. He's a playboy now..." she gave him a devious smirk, her mood unexpectedly lightning. "I wonder where he picked up those habits?"

Playing along with her slight change of attitude, he lifted his hands out at his sides. "Not everything that goes wrong in the playboy world can be my fault."

"Right, but I'm sure in this scenario I am right to assume so."

He suddenly became hesitant, knowing he was about to draw even further attention to a subject that not only she found complicated but also made him uneasy; now if only he could strive for the proper words. "So... are you... do you and Roy...? I mean, have you two... had a chance to talk about...?"

Kori laughed, the seriousness of his expression becoming far too attractive to ignore. "You're adorable when you stutter."

"I wasn't stuttering." He said defensively, a brow arched. Stuttering was not something Dick Grayson did and while there was no actual denying of his inability to speak previously, he would never admit to it.

"Fine, well, ... I don't know, I mean, Roy is... someone from my past that I don't really see as anything other than that."

"What do you mean?" He asked, his body gravitating toward hers now with far too much interest then he would have liked to display but had found himself unable to control his desperation for answers.

She sighed, to be honest, she wasn't sure she knew the answer; everyone and everything was complicated. Her mind came to a halt as she looked to Richard once more,... well, everything was complicated aside from him. When she was around him, whether it was right to have feelings for him or not, when she was with him nothing ever really seemed all that difficult.

"I just... things are different. We're two different people and even if I did have feelings for him still... I don't deserve him."

"What?" He said flabbergasted by this. "If anything its the other way around."

Kori's features saddened once more, bringing Richard's confidence in his words to slowly diminish in strength. "I know it may seem like I'm this well put together, independent, innocent person but... you really don't know all that much about me Richard. There are things about my past that... lets just say I'm not the girl you think I am; Roy alone is proof of that. When I left... I left him in the dark, not a single word of when or if I'd return, I didn't just betray all of my friendships by leaving... I betrayed him." She shook her head, lowering it into her hands. "He doesn't deserve the way I treated him and even though I can tell he's already forgiven my absence and wants to pick up where we left off... he shouldn't want to. I... I am in no place to be in a relationship with anyone. I'm more of a mess now then I was back then and... seeing everyone again, all at once... it's actually starting to frighten me."

Richard swallowed hard, then slowly laced an arm around her, unable to fight his urge to comfort her through touch. "It's alright Kor."

She shook her head. "There are a lot of things about me that you don't know and maybe that's frustrating for you because I know your trying to help me but... I just want to say thank you. You don;t look at me the way they do and it really... it makes me feel normal again."

She was right, he didn't know everything about her, nor did he know her as well as he would have liked but to him it wasn't really something that mattered. He knew who she was now, the person she had become regardless of what her past entailed, and that's what really mattered; everything else would fall into place eventually and all he had to do was be patient with her.

"You understand why I can't stay here right? I mean I know you asked me too and I know its tradition or whatever but..."

"Of course I understand." he assured her. "It'll be alright."

"That's what everyone keeps saying but... seeing everyone again all in one room, their eyes focused on me with the regrets of my past... Rachel was right... it'll never really be the same again."

"Sure it will... time will only prove that... if you let it. Trust me, everything's going to be fine."

Kori looked to him with a smile.

"What?"

She shook her head. "Nothing."

"No really... tell me."

She swallowed hard, "I don't know its just... " She paused, placing her head into her hands to conceal the blush that invaded her cheeks. "I can't really explain it but... when you tell me everything's going to be okay... I actually really believe it."

In a moment he would have normally smiled, the pounding in his chest had rendered him completely still. It was the first moment her words had actually been as endearing and affectionate toward him as his mind had always contorted them into. He swallowed hard, tightening his arm around her and brought her closer to him. His head leaning to the side against hers, he bestowed a gentle kiss upon the back of her hand then intertwined his fingers with hers.

Kori's body tensed at his touch. Sure, this was something she knew he was doing just to comfort her but it felt wrong. Pulling away and enduring an unbearable reaction of disappointment from him she tucked both of her hands between her knees for warmth, deciding a change of subject would be appropriate as of now. "Where's Babs? I thought you said shed be here?"

He shook his head, trying to ignore the hesitation she felt for him in this moment. "She should be here soon. I should probably prepare you for ... you know, meeting her."

"Babs? I've only heard good things about her. To be honest she was the least of my concerns coming here."

"Right. It'll be fine but she's very... intense."

"Oh... sounds fun." Kori said with a perk of her shoulders.

"No, Kor I mean, she may not exactly be easy to get along with. As it is Rachel can't stand her."

"Rachel isn't exactly easy to get along with sometimes either."

He stared at her for a moment, finding humor in her ability to be so stubborn in hs attempt to make her become cautious around Babs. He could tell she was determined to get along with Babs no matter the consequence, just to make him happy but it wasn't all that easy in the end. "You know your brothers going to be here later right?"

Kori sighed. "Yea, Vic mentioned it. That should be interesting."

"If it helps I'm feeling stressed myself. Babs she... she actually tried to end things with me yesterday." He swallowed hard, awaiting her reaction which had receded back into a look of despair; a look he never enjoyed seeing on her face because it only meant she was hurting.

"I'm so sorry. Are you alright?"

"Yea I mean, I managed to change her mind."

"But?"

He laughed. "Well, that's just it. I don't know that it was the right choice."

"Sure it was. You'll see."

He gave of a grunt of frustration, his hand running through his hair, resting behind the nape of his neck. Why was it that when he was with Kori, Babs was annoying to him, nothing more then a thorn in his side, but when he was alone with Babs, it seemed right? The mere fact Kori was defending his relationship only made his thoughts sway toward leaving Babs which he knew was not her intention but it was just so. As of now, he had come to the conclusion that this weekend would give him the answers he needed about Babs; he was waiting for something to prove to him what the right choice was.

"I mean I love her but... I'm just wondering if that love has become nothing more than me just being comfortable with her. I just can't figure out whether I want it to work out because I'm used to being around her or if I'm actually still in love with her."

Kori placed a hand upon his shoulder. "It'll work out Richard, you'll see. Things will get better for you two. It's the holidays everyone is always a little stressed out in relationships... give it time."

Here it was again, another one of those intense gazes that continued to draw them from reality. She stared back at him in a slight comforting manner but his was anything but focused on Babs. A thought had crossed his mind in this instant, a sense of anxiety coursing through him now.

Standing he extended a hand down to her. "Walk with me."

"Its freezing." She said, her attention moving from his reaching hand to the bitter weather around them.

He leaned toward her, taking her hand and pulling her to her feet without another word from her. "Come on, I wanna show you something."

Kori followed but the mischievous gleam in his eyes made her somewhat hesitant. Hand in hand he led her alongside the Manor walls, the weather turning more violent as they continued.

"I don't know I think we should just..."

He placed an arm around her waist pulling her body closer to his. "Please...we're almost there. Just trust me."

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**

"Hey Babs." Roy said, with a gleeful amount of mischief in his voice as he took her coat. "You're finally back."

"Yea, where's Dick?"

The smirk that developed over his face was far too obvious to ignore by her. "What's that look?"

He shrugged, taking her suitcase into his possession. "Nothing. He's with Kori."

"I thought he didn't really know her?" She studied his smirk a moment longer before rolling her eyes. "What, did you finally convince him to help you out with her?"

He shook his head. "Hopefully but... somehow I doubt it. He's outback with her if you want to go find him."

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**

"This isn't creepy at all?" Kori laughed, as they came to a halt before a large sectioned off building in the center of a huddle of trees beside the Manor. "I feel like this is a horror film and your taking me away from the group to slaughter me."

He shook his head amused with the way her mind worked. Turning to face her as they came to the front door of the building he smiled. "Alright... close your eyes." She raised a brow at him suspiciously. "Trust me."

"Richard... I just.."

"Shhh, just close them."

With one last giggle she shut her eyes, her body falling prey to chills as she felt his hand take hers. The sound of the door squeaking open arose a sense of excitement in her. Why was he being so ridiculously adorable in this moment? It was driving her crazy.

"This is all very mysterious I hope you realize."

He chuckled now, the sound of his every moment along with hers becoming heightened as her ears strained to decipher exactly where he was leading her.

"Alright so... I was going to wait until Christmas but as a result of all the craziness today I figured I'd give in and give you something to smile about."

He allowed his blush to remain unaltered as her brows angled down and an adorable scrunch in her nose formed. "And what makes you so confident it will make me smile?"

"I asked you to trust me didn't I?" He paused as she extended her opposite hand out in front of her. "What are you doing?"

"I'm just making sure you don't make me run right into a wall or something."

"I'm paying attention. I know this place like the back of my..." he fell silent as her foot collided with a small cord that trailed within the room. As she began to trip forward he caught her, her laughter bringing him into the same reaction. "Sorry, I ..."

"Mmm, who didn't see that coming?" She teased.

"No, really, I didn't see the cord or I would have..."

"Right. It's a good thing you didn't finish your previous sentence or else that would have been really embarrassing for you."

Her laughter suddenly came to a pause as she felt him place a hand on her waist now, "Better?" She cleared her throat, only capable of a nod. "Alright well, here's the deal, I got you something but it is a gift so you have to promise not to be angry."

"Oh no,... no promises. You shouldn't have gotten me anything. You're already too nice to me Richard I don't..."

"It's for Christmas, I just don't want to wait to give it to."

She rolled her eyes behind closed lids. "Fine. Can I look now?"

"No," he answered with complete seriousness, which only made her giggle again. "No peeking either." He paused, removing his hands from her and leaving her standing on her own. She could hear him move something rather large but she couldn't decipher exactly what it was. The urge to open her eyes was becoming far more difficult. She began to move her left eyelid slightly open when his voice raged back at her. "I said no peeking." To which she clasped them shut ever tighter.

"I wasn't."

"Liar." He mumbled. Then after a few more moments of shuffling, she noticed the scent of his cologne near her once more. "Okay, so, a few rules first."

"Rules?"

"Yes, just listen..." she smiled as he inhaled deeply, and she could sense a hint of nervousness within his voice. "Now, for me, this was a real struggle to get ahold of because apparently it was on high demand and..."

"What is this I'm hearing?" She interrupted in a childlike taunt."Dick Grayson having a difficult time... buying something?"

"Trust me, this took me much longer than anticipated to get so... there is no way you can't accept it."

"This is beginning to sound really expensive and I don't..."

"Be quiet. Now, ..." he paused to chuckle as she giggled at his pleading words. "Alright well,... I did a little research and realized you were after this for some time now and..."

"Oh, a gift and the invasion of my privacy all in one... this does sound exciting. Can I open my eyes now? You're beginning to sound like Bruce with this intense speech."

"Alright... fine..." her nerves caught fire as the tone of his voice shook slightly. "Open."

Her eyes narrowed and she slowly allowed her eyelids to flicker open. As they set on the large painting before her Richard's breath hitched in his throat. He knew she would like it, that wasn't what concerned him, what did was this reaction.

"You shouldn't have done this." Her voice echoed off the otherwise empty garage.

"But I did."

She stared at the painting with no words, tears striking in a chorus of unstoppable release. The moment her eyes set on the gift before her she instantly recognized it. Richard was right, this was something she had been after for a long time; a very long time, and with purpose.

She looked to him wide-eyed, and shook her head. "I cant except this."

Placing a hand upon the center of her back he stepped into her side and stared out at the painting. "Of course you can. This was meant to be yours to begin with." He looked to her now. "The only question I have is why you never told me you became an artist after your mother?"

She lingered in his gaze, her eyes swelling with forceful tears. Licking at her lips she looked back to the painting. "This was the last one. We... I would visit her and my father and this... this was the one unfinished canvas that we, she and I,..." she tried to hold back her incessant, powerful need to weep uncontrollably long enough to explain the paintings importance to him. " ... we would just slowly add to. Then I went off to college and she finished it without me." Her tears began to flow more aggressively now, her words barely comprehensible as her breath strained against her desire to fully break down in this instant. "She... when they ... when they died it was auctioned off before I could... " She looked to Richard now a hand over her mouth as she held her breath trying to find words to say. "There,.. there will never be enough words to explain how... how eternally grateful I am right now. I..."

"So I should take it back then?" He joked.

Through her tears, her laugh sounded and she lunged forward, forcing herself into his arms, her tears letting loose upon his chest. With his arms cuddling her close to him, the pounding of her excessive heartbeat against him absorbed every amount of strength he had conjured when around her. Stepping back from her he looked down at her, a hand resting upon her jaw line. "Are you happy?"

She rolled her drowning eyes, her voice holding no amount of composure. "This is the most amazing... I can't believe... I just..." She wiped at her tears, looking back to the painting in disbelief. "I've been chasing this painting for two years."

"I know." He did, he really did know. He had been up all night without rest trying to learn as much about this painting as possible and the facts had only given him the determination needed to finally convince the gallery to sell it to him.

She bit at her lips as her eyes found his once more. "I don't get it."

"Get what?"

Her shoulders perked in a lingering shrug. "Why are you so sweet to me? I definitely have done nothing to deserve it, and if it weren't for the meaning behind this painting I would never accept it but..."

"You're important to me Kori. You don't have to do anything but be yourself and that will always be enough for me."

She lowered her head into her hands, the emotions she remained engulfed in were breaching her normal ability to think clearly now. She had never been prepared for this amount of intense feelings for Richard and while she had no choice but to ignore them they didn't go unacknowledged through her tears. It was to the point where she was no longer weeping for the gift he had given her and was now undeniably lost in his charm. For him to notice she had a special connection with this painting when they were at the gallery the other day was one thing but to go out of his way to buy it for her... it was too much. If Kori knew anything it was how expensive this painting was and how difficult the bid for this one in particular had become over the years.

She released a small laugh, trying to mask her inability to calm her tears. "I don't know how I'm going to be able to face everyone without crying because of this."

"But... everyone back at the Manor doesnt seem so scary now do they?"

She shook her head. "Nothing is frightening to me right now. I'm far too happy for that." She paused then stepping into him, she placed either hand on either side of his face, shaking her head as she spoke. "Richard ..." she inhaled deeply, her eyes soaking up his every feature, a thumb caressing his right cheek before her eyes locked into his. "... thank you... thank you so much. This means... everything to me."

Her heart skipped at the sight of his smirk which appeared slowly, his left hand over her right now. She looked to his mouth as it opened partly to form words but instead his lips moved toward her. They were inches from hers before they came to a halt, both of them now with a loss of breath. It was obvious he wanted to kiss her but that wouldn't be right. Instead, Richard's kiss set upon her at the corner of her mouth. It was now she had realized how progressive his kiss had become. Since she had moved here his kiss began with a small peck to her temple, then forehead, cheek, and now... his lips were practically against hers, but remained with some amount of innocence.

Kori's eyes remained shut, captivated by the intensity of his soft lips and the warmth which remained there even after he pulled away. Which is why when his touch was felt again she became completely overwhelmed. His lips had taken a pause and his hands removed themselves from her face and lowered, trailing down the length of her sides as he leaned into her. His breath was thick and warm upon her neck as he brought his lips to her ear.

"Are you happy?" he asked again, his words fuming with an uneven yet steely amount of desperation as they played into her ear in a whisper begging for her to answer once more.

Her eyes were shut, brows burrowed in a depiction of the very same passion he felt and it was as those stunning jade eyes met his and the mere expression upon her face that drew him in once more; allowing no time for her response.

He knew this was wrong but he just couldn't fight the hunger he had for now; it burned too bright, surged through him too intensely to be ignored. The air around them became thick and as his lips collided with hers, there was no amount of logic to stop it. Her hands became numb, as well as the rest of her body as his intoxicating touch remained against hers. Her breathe, regardless of how brief the kiss was, was strained. He pulled away, and suddenly everything around them fell silent. His piercing eyes rendered her into submissiveness as they met hers studying her reaction which mirrored nothing more than desire, before they shut, his lips against hers once more. His hands cupped her face, holding her closer to him as his tongue brushed against her bottom lip and without a second thought or moment of hesitation, her mouth parted, their tongues cascading against one another's in a lustful drive.

"Wait..." Kori whimpered, hating herself for bringing a halt to his tantalizing touch. She swallowed hard, as his forehead rest against hers now, the sweet taste of his breath against hers, making her words even harder to get out. The intense vibration of every nerve sparked repeatedly at the memory of his forbidden kiss. "We... we can't do this. This is wrong."

A growl of frustration escaped him before he pulled away, his back to her now as he remained in thought over his actions, reality striking him with intense harshness. "I'm sorry. You're right I shouldn't have... I just..." he sighed once more then turned to her. "I'm sorry."

She swallowed hard, taking her bottom lip in between her teeth as she tried to find the proper reaction to all of this. She was never someone to ruin a relationship but this seemed like an unavoidable situation. He had kissed her and what was worse was that she enjoyed it, but in the end she allowed it to pursue making them both in the wrong. "Um... its alright, no... ummm..." She released a nervous laugh, her gaze avoiding his. "We should just get back. This uhh... this never happened okay?"

She didn't wait for him to respond for she had quickly taken to the door behind her, her pace somewhat quickening as she heard him follow. It wasn't until the door thrust open and an unfamiliar face surfaced that both of them came to a halt. It was as Richard's voice protruded into the silence with the one word that could delve this situation even further into awkwardness.

"Babs..."

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**


	6. Consequences

**Chapter Six: Consequences**

"Babs..." Richard breathed heavily, her arrival and overall timing not as perfect as he would have hoped, not that it really would have mattered; not after he had just kissed Kori. What ever was to take place now would surely not end well; he was certain of this.

"Dick... there you are." She replied, her attention less interested in Richard and more concerned with the distressed vision of Kori trying to avoid her gaze. "You must be Kori."

Richard's heart sunk as Kori's body suddenly jumped at the sound of her name. It was far too obvious his actions had caused this, ruined any amount of smoothness within their official meeting and the nervous look on her face only proved how shaken she was.

"I... uh,... yea. I'm sorry I just... I have to go."

"Whats wrong with her?" Babs asked in a form of disgust in response to Kori's rush to push passed her.

"Kori wait," Richard called but she continued in a quick pace back to the Manor. It was in this moment, as his eyes settled back on Babs that his mind had found the clarity he had so desperately sought after. It wasn't the sudden suspicion on Babs' face that hurt, but the sight of Kori rushing away from him, her slim figure vanishing around the corner of the Manor that brought actual heartache. "I have to go."

"Wait," Babs said, clawing at his arm as he tried to go after Kori. The intense, almost unbearable irritation that devoured his patience for her somewhat surprised himself. He had turned back to her, his expression relentless in aggravation for her presence, his eyes cold against her confusion as she shrugged. "What is going on with you?"

"I don't have time for this Babs."

She stared back at him confused as he took into a run after Kori. It was wrong, the feelings that engulfed him, and even though the current thoughts that swarmed viscous circles in his mind held no amount of sympathy for Babs he could not allow it to be questioned. Regardless of the betrayal he had just committed against Babs, it was not for one moment a reasonable gesture to set aside the fact that he had willingly dove head first into said betrayal. His mind was set on one thing, and one thing only; make sure Kori was alright; see to it that he had not ruined things with her for that would be the only thing with enough strength to really tear him down.

When he finally reached Kori he could hear small whimpers of curses beneath her breath which glided through the cold breeze around them, dying out in harsh mutters.

"Kori..." He called again, her feet finally receding to a slower pace.

Both were slightly out of breath in this moment, no amount of intimacy to be confused as the cause for this. No, Kori was trying to run from the obvious betrayal she had caused once again. She may not have intended on being someone to hurt Babs, someone who would come between her relationship with Richard but the facts were all too clear to her in this moment. Why was this a repeating pattern for her life? She didn't want to ever bring harm or hurt anyone, especially someone she didn't know and yet, like every other instant in her life, she allowed betrayal to commence, allowed that imaginary line to be crossed once again where feelings would be hurt.

And Richard, well, as horrible of a situation he had found himself in, it was all at his own doing, him knowing perfectly well if anyone was the victim, aside from the oblivious Babs, it would be Kori. He shouldn't have kissed her, he knew this even when his mind was contemplating the act itself but it didn't seem to matter in the moment. Now, of course, like all things reality hits and consequences were to be divided among each of them. Sadly enough, it wasn't the inevitable truth that Babs would be destroyed by his decision to kiss Kori, no, it was Kori and the immense amount of confusion she was in; confusion which inflicted an amount of pain that he felt twice as sharp because it was him who had done this to her. Did he regret kissing her though? I think that's the real question... and the answer: not in the very least.

He swallowed, that tension in his stomach at the sight of Kori's weather induced rosy cheeks, her tear-stained eyes frozen in a downcast upon the snowy earth beneath them in the short distance that separated them. Fierce weather or not, this moment wasn't anything but heated. The distant and hesitant attitude that overwhelmed her overall existence only seemed to increase in the immense amount of emotion it forced through him. "Kori... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have put you in this position."

Her footing came to a complete pause now, the inevitable awkward silence he was sure to commence in fact did, the effect simmering over him in an unmeasurable amount of regret; not for the kiss but because he had chosen an inappropriate and otherwise foolish time to do so. The urge to finally taste her sweet lips had become far too appealing to contain any amount of control in the situation. The sheer impetuosity that crept passed his ability to endure another fleeting minute of witnessing her in such an emotional state was far too dominating to even consider logic. In the end, he had finally caught those luscious rose pedaled lips against his, his mind still savoring the embrace whether his craving had been satisfied or not. The only questionable thing to consider was her feelings in regards to his actions; this alone was the most vital concern as of now. She had kissed him back, the passion he had exerted over her was equally returned and yet... it needed to be confirmed; especially with her sudden attempt to flee. He understood why. If Babs had arrived only seconds earlier things would surely have played out differently, perhaps even violently and while these were all important aspects of this situation to consider, all that mattered was her.

She stood before him, her eyes cowering in a guilt-ridden struggle to avoid his; the act alone arising worry in him. Of course this was a complicated scenario, there was no way to deny it and it was his fault which only frustrated him more. Knowing that the possibility of what could have happened in that moment had he allowed Babs to end things the way she was determined to the day before... it was all weighing heavy on him. AS it were the sight of Kori was hard to take in. Her hands were trembling and he could tell by the rapid rise and fall of her chest coupled with the constant exhale of her visible breath against the harsh breeze that she was feeling nothing but overwhelmed by everything right now.

"Calm down Kori. Everything's fine."

The expression on her face immediately contorted to a look of disbelief. "What? Richard... I... I couldn't look at her. She..." she raised a hand to her forehead, astounded by his audacity to downplay the severity of all of this. "Richard, we just... she doesn't deserve this. I can't believe that I actually, that we..." She hugged at herself as Richard tried to reach out to her. "No..." she took a step back, shaking her head. "This was wrong. And poor Babs, she has no Idea what I..."

"No." He interrupted. Ignoring her hesitancy, he moved toward her, hands at her shoulders as he leaned down; their eyes parallel now. "I did this Kori. Don't you dare try to blame yourself for this."

"I kissed you back Richard." She turned away from him, a curt exhale of disappointment in herself sounding. "I mean, I actually enjoyed it and..."

"Wait...what?"

Kori froze, her words instantly replaying in her mind. She looked back to him swallowing hard. "I didn't mean that. I just... " she pointed a finger to the ground angrily. "This was wrong." Noticing his inability to suppress a smirk which slowly formed, her gaze hardened. "What is so damn funny?"

He licked at his lips, running a hand through his hair as his head dipped at an angle, his laughter directed to the ground. "I... nothing. Look it doesn't matter what happened; we can't change it and... the consequences are my own so I don't want you worrying about this."

Kori glanced passed him to ensure they were still alone and that Babs had not caught up to them, regardless of finding nothing she lowered her voice; the stress and anger in her tone not losing any recognition in her whisper. "How can I walk away from this and not feel the weight of what this means for your relationship?" Richard raised a brow as Kori's eyes suddenly widened, moving rapidly over him now; the realization of everything now becoming ever clearer. Placing her head in her hands she sighed. "Holy shit this is all just really fucked up."

He laughed slightly, said laughter completely falling silent as she glared at him. "I'm sorry it's just..." he gave her a helpless shrug. "You're talking as though I regret kissing you and I don't."

Her entire body became motionless, her eyes wide against his which seemed confident in his words enough to arise more conflict within her thoughts. Exhaling curtly she looked away from him, her arms crossed over her chest. The guilt she felt which was previously stabbing at her composure was now being dominated by the unremorseful and insensitive demeanor he held in regards for Babs; as if she was no longer a concern of his. "You're an idiot."

"Am I?"

"Of course you are. You had the perfect girlfriend Richard and you're trying to throw all of that away for a self destructive mess like me?" She rolled her eyes as he remained firm in his arrogant expression, causing her to only begin walking away again.

"Kori.. come on. Talk to me."

"I can't." She quickened her pace as he followed closely at her side. "You just... you don't think, you know that? I mean, I just told you I couldn't be in a relationship so the mere fact that you're even considering tossing Babs to the side is just plain stupid. I'm an emotional wreck Richard, I... I don't know how else I can stress this to you. I mean, you don't even know me."

"Sure I do."

The mere fact that she remained attracted and drawn into his charm in this instant only infuriated her more. Reaching the back porch of the Manor now she took to the second step of the small staircase then turned back to him with a heavy sigh as he called her name once more. "What? I need time to absorb everything that just happened."

"Don't leave." It was he who became victim to fidgeting now. "Umm... let me talk to Babs and then I'll come find you."

Her chest raised as she took a deep inhale, trying to fight the urge to give into him once more. "I should leave. This can't end well with me here."

He became anxious once again, this was the hardest part for him, having to watch her leave again. "Just answer one thing for me then." He hesitated, allowing her mind to adjust to his words before he continued. "Do you regret it?"

"Regret what?"

"Kissing me back?" He swallowed hard, the nerves that scraped at his composure all residing on the uncertain anticipation of her answer.

Her eyes clasped shut, the question resonating in her thoughts. She knew the answer but in this particular situation honesty was clearly not the best route and as much as it killed her, she nodded. "Yes."

If anything was stronger than the emotions she was already struggling against it would be the look on his face in this very moment, his reaction of utter hurt that developed over him that tore at her the strongest. It was almost as if she could feel her heart tighten, constricting normal beats. Now here they were, caught in another unflinching gaze and yet this time it was different; this time it wasn't passion being exerted through their sight but utter torment... from both sides.

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"What's with you?" Rachel asked as Richard trudged into the Manor only moments after Kori had rushed out the front door.

The room which had previously become uneasy at the sudden distress of Kori who had raced past them without explanation was now transitioning into the obvious lifelessness of Richard. Rachel was the first to stand and follow him as he ignored all other sounds around him and began making his way down the hallway to his room.

Rachel paused, leaning into the door frame, her arms crossed and eyes wandering over his vacant expression. "What the hell is going on in this house? Kori just left without reason and look at you."

He sat at the edge of his bed, his head within his hands as he remained in deep thought. "Can you just send Babs here?"

"Dick..."

"Now!" He demanded, looking to her in a glare she was far too familiar with in knowing it was not to be questioned.

"Yea... alright. Give me a minute."

It took a brief period of time, one spent sitting alone, his thoughts racing over Kori's words again and again, but it all fell silent as Babs suddenly appeared at his door. She gave him a seductive smile, trying to coax him into a better mood beyond his obvious temperamental mood. She stepped into the room, locking the door behind her.

"So... Rachel said you were in a mood."

"Yea, actually..." he hesitated as she approached him, her hands against his chest now as she set herself upon his lap, her legs straddling his waist.

"Tell me what I can do to make it all better," her seductive tone played in tune with the sensation of her index finger as it found its way beneath his chin, lifting his gaze to hers.

What was meant to be an act to initiate a more intimate mood quickly backfired on her. The instant his eyes met hers, eyes that weren't Kori's; that didn't hold the same affection, same longing, same anything reflecting back, it was inevitably her undoing. Placing hands at her waist, he quickly lifted her off of him and stood now, pacing the length of the room.

"What is going on with you?" She finally asked, no lack of patience ringing back.

Richard sighed, his hand forcing its way through his thick ebony tresses, eyes hoping to avoid Babs at all cost. "We need to talk."

Her brow raised in annoyance. "About?"

Is it horrible to discover that he had no amount of guilt in his veins? That he wanted nothing more than to be free of Babs? Well, horrible or not, it was the truth; a truth that had become realized overnight, with one kiss, one now broken heart that remained within the confines of his chest cavity, beating at an almost unsound irregularity at this epiphany of realized affection and otherwise unquestionable devotion to someone he had hardly known.

"I think you were right..." his eyes met hers now. There was no easy way to do this other than to just say it. "... about us."

"What? What are you talking about?"

He placed his hands out at his sides in utter defeat. "I don't... I don't really know what this is anymore. I can't really explain what I'm feeling because to be honest I don't really know what it is but... it doesn't involve you and I realize that's..." he exhaled slowly, his words not entirely thought out with any amount of care for her feelings. " I'm not... I just can't do this anymore. I thought this was what I wanted ... but it's not."

Babs exhaled curtly, her eyes frozen wide while she tried to hold back the tears that brimmed at her eyes lids. "I... I don't understand."

He hesitated, looking to the floor, his words flowing from his mouth as they presented themselves in his mind, allowing no filter to exist with what he was actually saying. "You were right to try to end things with me. The truth is I don't want commitment, ... not with you."

"So that's just it? It's just over?" She swallowed hard, hoping he would change his mind. She had the strength to walk away from him before, but now, now that he had drawn her back in... it was too much. "After all that time spent convincing me to stay with you? After everything we've already been through? What... what happened in the past few hours that caused this sudden change?" Her voice raised now, anger overpowering hurt. "Was it that Kori girl? Is that what this is about?" She stepped up to him, shoving at his chest. "Is it?" She shoved him once more. "Is that why she was such a mess when I first saw her, because she ...?"

"She didn't do anything. I was the one that was out of line. When I kissed her I..."

She was falling further more into an emotional wreck then Richard even cared to realize in this moment, not even as she sent a hand through the air striking him across the face did he even flinch. He fell silent though, remaining perfectly still as Babs carried on about how right she was about him all while packing her things and quickly leaving.

Sure, he could have been more sensitive in the situation but he was honestly too hurt himself to really care about anything else. Babs might have left his room but before the sound of her slamming the Manor door shut he had overheard her sobbing to the others in the living room, the sound of heavy footsteps already heading his way.

With a heavy sigh he waited for Rachel to enter and was thoroughly surprised when he stared back at a very heated Roy.

"You kissed her?" Richard remained silent despite the question as Roy repeated it once more, the same lifeless gaze in reply. Tightening his fists at his sides, Roy took one step toward him. "I came to you for help with Kori. You knew she was already mine once, you knew I've been trying to get her back and you still did it?"

Richard laughed now, the entire day being too stressful and he knew if he allowed his anger its rightful place in this moment then it would only get worse. So laughter, it was all that could be expressed. "She deserves someone better than you."

His body stumbled back at the harsh force of Roy's fist as it connected with his cheekbone, the only response Richard gave once his balance was regained was another laugh; he was feeling inexplicably immune to physical pain at the moment and knew he otherwise deserved Roy's display of rage.

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"Knock knock."

Richard lay in his bed, an arm over his eyes when the monotone voice entered the silence. It had been a few hours since the events which had so dramatically played out against his favor, but he was calmer now. He acknowledged Rachel with no more than a grunt to which she merely laughed at. He could feel the bed shift as her presence became known beside him. Removing the arm which shielded his eyes, he looked to her with a sigh. She sat parallel to him on the other side of the bed, arms crossed in her lap.

"What? Are you here to inflict your anger on me too?" He said rather carelessly.

She let off a snort of a laugh, tossing a small bag of ice to chest which had gone unnoticed by him until now. "No, I think you've suffered enough." She waited for him to lift the ice to his eye before she laughed once more. "So you really kissed her huh?" He nodded. "Did she kiss you back?"

"Technically."

"Ahh, I see, so you're in here pouting because she regrets it?"

He reluctantly nodded once more.

"Well, you've made a complete mess of this weekend." She shoved at his arm with her elbow; Richard nothing short of surprised at her seemingly calm and humorous mood. Noticing his hesitant expression she rolled her eyes. "So,... you broke up with your girlfriend, ruined your friendship with Kori, as well as with Roy, you've pissed almost everyone else off in the house... what will Dick Grayson do next?"

"I could really use some silence right now. I'm well aware of the current situation and I don't need you to reiterate it to me for your own humor."

"Well, aren't you pissy." She smirked. "And I had every intention of coming in here to possibly help you with Kori..." she shrugged. "... uh well, I guess when people refuse help there's not a whole lot you can do."

She stood, moving her feet in a very dramatically slow pace, her playful gaze waiting for him to ask her to elaborate on above offered help. With a roll of his eyes he tossed a pillow at her. "I know you think I need help with Kori but I don't."

"Oh really?" That was unexpected. "Are you sure that isn't just that arrogant playboy side making an appearance? You know nothing about Kori and I on the other hand know everything about her."

"You're wrong. You know who Kori used to be, she's not the same person as she was two years ago and eventually you will all see that and stop giving her such a hard time." He yawned slightly, cringing at the pain at his cheek. "I may not know anything about her past but I'm confident that I know her better than any of you."

Rachel's brow arched. "Is that so?"

He smiled. "Without a doubt."

Rachel paused for a moment, a thought crossing her mind to which she was certain would disprove his assumption. "Alright... then where is she?"

"What?"

"She's not answering her phone and no one can find her... you know her so well... where is she?"

He hesitated in thought before a smirk settled over him, and as he jumped to his feet he gave Rachel a kiss upon the head with a quick thank you.

"Thank you? I was joking. You don't actually know where she is do you?" Her frustration set in further as a chuckle of satisfaction echoed down the hallway as he left, leaving her alone utterly confused. "Do you?"

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**

"Here we are again," Kori laughed to herself.

She remained sitting upon the same sheet of snow where Richard had first met her. The night was harsher, colder than that night a few months ago but the same hollow feeling encompassed her tired soul. The amount of time spent here was one in which she was certain would eventually begin to rise worry in her friends once they realized she had not gone home like she had said but it wasn't really her concern as of now.

She needed someone to talk to; someone to vent her pent-up feelings right now and with every one of her friends having run in the same circles as Richard it was sort of impossible to ensure any amount of secrecy with her words. So here she was, sparking conversation with a gravestone, her mind answering for Komi as if she were standing beside her.

"I know what you're thinking,... I'm being far too dramatic, playing the victim again and..." she shrugged. "... maybe you're right. Maybe all of this is just a sign that I never should have come back. I've been here less than a week and I've already ruined someones relationship. The worst part... I knew it was wrong to kiss him back but... I couldn't stop myself." She paused, lifting a bottle of bourbon to her lips, a small laugh breaking the silence. "Its funny though... I never actually expected him to really have feelings for someone like me. I actually pity him. He has no idea how lost I really am inside and... and it's not like I'm getting any better." She paused crossing her legs, resituating her jacket tighter around her. "I was an idiot to believe ... to allow myself to get so close with him. I should have known it was too good to be true." She laughed again. "Komi, I mean,... this guy is just... he's nothing like the way I expected him to be and I can't help but be afraid of ... afraid of why he kissed me. He doesn't know anything about me and you and I both know my past is not exactly casual conversation." She released a sigh. "I don't know, maybe this was meant to happen. I mean, Gotham isn't all that great. I haven't seen Ryan yet, maybe it wouldn't be too late to just leave." She paused, her eyes focused on the headstone once more. "Then again, I'd only be running and I'm tired of that. I really am."

"Then don't leave."

Her entire body shook at the familiar voice as it sounded behind her. She swallowed hard, her eyes shut as she spoke. "What are you doing here?" The crunching of footsteps crept closer to her until she found Richard sitting beside her. Avoiding his gaze, she stared down at the bottle within her hand to which she hid beneath her thick coat and out of his sight. "How did you know I'd be here?"

She caught his shrug in the corner of her eye. "Maybe I know you better than you want to admit."

Feeling suddenly annoyed she turned her head to him, her eyes widening, her mind pausing as she noticed a dark tint beneath his eye. "What happened?"

He smiled. "Nothing." He swallowed hard as she stared up at him in worry. This was the very look that brought all this trouble in the first place. Clearing his throat he looked to Komi's gravestone. "You gonna share that bottle or what?"

She fell from her thoughts, becoming even further annoyed as she was unable to fight the small smile that spread across her face. Upon initially being forced into awareness of his arrival she had done her best to conceal the bottle from his sight, in hopes of avoiding any judgement. Perhaps he did know her better than she realized?

"Sure." As he drank, she studied his expression. "So you gonna tell me what happened or not?"

His shoulder raised in a small shrug. "It's not worth telling."

"Does it hurt?"

"Not as bad as you leaving."

Her breath hitched in her throat, the intensity in his steel eyes as they set over her quickly sent her into sudden nervousness. She inhaled deeply, looking up at the gloomy sky now, the sun tucked behind a veil of dark clouds. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. I'm alright with the silence if that's what you prefer."

And that's exactly what they did. How long they sat there without a sound... who knows, but when the silence was finally breached, it would be as a result of Richard.

A deep exhale from him prepared Kori for the conversation he was about to start; her body tensing slightly. She wasn't sure what to feel about any of this, but did she want to end all contact with him because of her uncertainty?... no. So she listened intently, hoping his words would suddenly make all of this better.

"I don't want things to be this way." He paused as they both looked to each other. He could tell by the endearing softness of her emerald eyes that she would have agreed if speaking was something she could bring herself to do in this moment. "I'm just going to be honest with you, throw all my cards on the table and leave the choice up to you."

"That's not a lot of pressure." She laughed. Why was it so easy to be herself around him? She didn't understand it but could not deny herself the reality of this truth.

He chuckled quietly before continuing. His posture leaned forward, his arms crossed over his knees. "I'm sure you're feeling a little confused by all of this but... " he sighed, giving his mind a second to fully decide on the proper words. "... I know what I want and I'll wait for as long as it takes to get it."

She rolled her eyes. Of course he would assume nothing was out of reach for him; as if by some immunity to the laws of nature that all he would have to do is be patient and he could get anything he wanted. "And what is it you want exactly?"

He swallowed hard, he was about to take a chance that he had never done before. The fear of vulnerability scraping like needles coursing through his veins. "You."

She lingered in a stare back at him as if she did not understand his meaning, but she did. She tried to dismiss the increase in the beating of her heart that was practically loud enough, she was sure, that he could even hear. She licked at her weather chapped lips and brought her gaze to the gravestone once more. "Declaring passion in a cemetery... I've never heard that one before."

"Make all the jokes you want but you and I both know you're just avoiding the unspoken truth that you feel the same."

"You don't even know me. How could you possibly believe you would want me?"

"It's not as though I'm asking you to sleep with me Kori. I know you're probably assuming that all I what is to be more physical with you but that just isn't true. I'm only asking that you give me the chance to know you. I don't want what happened to make you push me away."

She turned back to him now, studying the seriousness in his face. "That wasn't exactly a kiss between two people who are just friends."

He inhaled deeply, his attention on the sky now. "I never said I didn't want a relationship with you... I do, just, I know you're not ready for that."

"You just ruined a relationship with someone else. That doesn't exactly give me much faith in you."

A smirk surfaced over his features now. "That was different. Babs and I were... we've been over for a while we just never took the time to realize that we had fallen into this passionless routine that wasn't love but merely being comfortable with one another." Kori could feel her breath become thick around her as those piercing azure eyes settled on her once more. "I can tell that you're afraid to let someone love you because of your fear of losing them but... I will always be here for you. I told you that. I would never hurt you. I just want you to be happy and I'm hoping that one day you'll be happy with me."

"And if I don't ... want to be with you?"

He smiled. "I already know that you do."

She rolled her eyes. "I hate that you are so confident in yourself."

"Am I wrong?" Her silence only confirmed his assumption, but he had decided to ease up on her now. "I just want to be close with you, everything else will work out on its own." He sighed, then standing he extended a hand down to her. "Friends?"

Her eyes narrowed over his hand before she accepted it. As he pulled her to her feet, he placed an arm around her and brought her body closer to his as they headed toward the exit of the cemetery; him feeling more confident that she would be his with each step, her inability to conceal the blush at her cheeks only making this truth more obvious to the both of them.

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**(A/N) Thank you for the wonderful reviews, they are appreciated. I'm hoping to update the next chapter without as long of a wait but we'll just have to see. **


	7. Just Friends

**Chapter Seven: Just Friends**

A succession of sullen and otherwise furious eyes burned in the direction of Kori and Richard as they entered the Manor in hesitant silence. They stared back at the five outraged faces of their friends who stood in a defensive line parallel from them in the living room, to Kori's surprise one of them being her brother Ryan. Kori, who had previously assumed the events between herself and Richard to have remained unknown quickly became aware that this just wasn't so. Her mind wavered for a moment before she took a single step deeper into the room.

"What?" She asked with little amount of patience ringing back.

This was typical, anytime she did anything it would be scrutinized by each member of their small circle of friends; all willing to forcefully voice their judgment and opinion in the matter; no matter how small or how irrelevant the topic would be. This, this very moment, their faces all shadowed in judgement was the very reason she felt provoked to leave those years ago in the first place. In her opinion it was one thing to be concerned and request a moment to discuss certain fears or worries but entirely another to offer, without permission, their one-sided perspectives of what was going on in her life. Sure, they were friends, she loved them as they loved her but there, at some point, had to be a line in which stood for someones own will to do or say what they wish; which was not the case. In the end, there were plenty of reasons why they had a right to be concerned but Kori was at a stage in her life where she had wanted nothing more than to put the past behind her and simply leave it there; which, of course is easier said then done especially when you have a handful of friends constantly trying to revive it.

Ryan, while she was pleased and otherwise ecstatic to see him after these few years without contact, the merciless glare he had focused on Richard was hard to allow such endearing feelings to progress. It wasn't until Ryan's glare suddenly altered and with a look of concern he rushed toward Kori embracing her that she finally softened her temperamental mood.

"I heard you were in town?" He said, his grip on her tightening, his voice concerned yet relieved at her presence. "You should have called Kor."

Pulling away from him she tucked a long curl of hair behind her ear, trying to seem calm in this moment and yet the attention and dramatics her brother continued to sport so suddenly was making it difficult. Sure, she understood the reason for such dramatics but the overall thick tension in the air around them was hard to ignore.

"Where have you been all this time Kor?"

She laughed nervously. "I was... around."

"Around?" He questioned, not satisfied with her vague response.

"Look, can we not make a scene?" She pleaded, her voice in a whisper as she caught a glimpse of Roy taking a step toward Richard.

Ryan rolled his eyes, taking her into his arms once more. "I'm just glad your back." It was now that his glare returned, his eyes setting on Richard who stood behind Kori still. He moved away from Kori now, stepping up to Richard who merely stared back at him carelessly. "So, I hear you're..."

"Stop." Kori demanded, but Ryan remained persistent. The reality that Ryan and Richard were actually quite close friends only made this scenario far more aggressive. The others had quickly expressed their reason for anger toward Richard as a result of his actions, and as he stood before Ryan unapologetic it only fueled the fire.

"She's my sister, Dick. How could you..."

"I said stop." Kori demanded once more as she wedged herself between the two. Richard was thoroughly surprised by her willingness to defend him and the presence of her body trying to shield him from any harm that may befall him by their friends; not that he couldn't handle it. Finally earning the attention of her brother Kori released a low growl. "Enough."

"Kori, he put his hands on you. He..." Ryan began, only to be brought into silence by Kori once more.

"I said enough Ryan. What happens between Richard and I is none of your concern." She paused, directing her scowl back at Roy, Karen, Wally and Vic now. "That goes for all of you. I'm not a child and I can take care of myself."

"So you're okay with him just kissing you?" Roy asked, his rage depicted perfectly in his raspy raised tone.

Kori sighed, her position in front of an otherwise quiet Richard remaining firm. "I didn't say that,..." she hesitated as Roy's stiff shoulders mellowed, only to tense once more as she continued. "But this is my fault just as much as it is his. I kissed him back."

"What?" Kori inhaled deeply, the agony in Roy's expression moving toward her. She wished more than anything Rachel was here. Sure she would probably not be any more pleased with her then anyone else in the room but at least she would grow tired of arguing and quiet everyone with an annoyed remark. "How can... how could you want that? I thought we were... I thought you and I..."

"I told you Roy, you and I needed time before we could discuss anything but that has nothing to do with Richard. I just... it's not as though he and I are anything other than friends."

The anger in Roy's eyes, which were once to be thought charming by Kori had begun to make her nervous. Her emotions must have been obvious because it was now that Richard asserted himself. He stepped around Kori toward Roy. "I think we're done here. If you're angry... fine, go ahead and be upset with me, not Kori."

"I think I've already made it clear that I'm upset with you. It's her I need to deal with now." Roy said with a sinister grin as he took pride in the progress of the bruise forming on Richard's face.

"Wait a second." Kori said, stepping toward Roy. She glanced frantically between the two having come to the understanding of Roy's meaning. "You did this?" As she motioned to Richard's face, Roy's smile grew wider. "Why would you hurt him?"

"Come on Kori, don't play dumb." He stuffed his hands in his pockets, an arrogant sigh reaching Kori's ears. "He stepped into my territory. Did you really expect me to do anything less?"

Kori's anger surfaced now, she shoved Roy back, her voice raising in pitch. "Territory? Fuck you Roy. I am not a possession and what ever you thought would resume between you and me..." she shook her head. "You were wrong to assume so." She looked back to Richard now who had an eye cautiously watching Roy in case he decided to lash out again. Her voice softened, her touch gentle. "I am so sorry. This..." her brows furrowed as she raised a hand to his cheek. "This is my fault. You should have told me."

Richard shook his head, lowering her hand from him and otherwise finding it hard to bask in the melodic sound of her voice with more than one daggering glare narrowing in on him. "Don't worry about it."

"Don't apologize to him." Roy growled.

"Shut... the hell... up!" Everyone turned to find an annoyed Rachel standing with her arms crossed. "This is ridiculous. All of you. I may not be one for lovey dovey behavior but isn't this weekend suppose to be one for friends to come together or whatever?" A smile crept across Kori's instantly relieved expression but it soon faded as Rachel's attention zoned solely on her now. "Well don't you look like a mess."

Kori swallowed hard. It was one thing for every one of her other friends to be disappointed in her but Rachel had right authority to; Richard was her cousin and that definitely complicated things. She looked to Rachel determined to come up with an explanation but the look in her violet eyes devoured any amount of courage Kori could find in this moment; words falling into the darker regions of her mind. "I..." She lowered her gaze to the floor guiltily, a foot tapping at the heel slightly. Then, with a forced smile she shrugged innocently and let out a nasally laugh. "Maybe we should just start drinking."

While the rest of the room, aside from Richard who remained silent, became even more enraged at this attempt to shuffle the main issue of the day under the rug, Kori could have sworn she caught the beginning of a held back smirk on Rachel's features.

"I agree," Rachel said, causing a turn of heads in the room. She ignored the wide-eyed expressions that stared back at her and took off toward the kitchen, reaching for Kori's hand and pulling her along; the others slowly following quietly.

While everyone wrapped around the kitchen island counter, Rachel blocked out the deafening silence the hovered. Kori smiled as Rachel's movements were entirely unaffected. She pulled a large case of beer from the fridge and set it down on the counter with a heavy sigh, her eyes scanning over each of them with severe pertinence.

"I want this shit gone, each of us are drinking tonight and by tomorrow there will not be any arguing." She paused as Roy opened his mouth to interrupt, only a small syllable passing his lips before Rachel's voice raised. "Shut it! I only have two days off before I have to got back to the hospital on call so there will be no arguing or yelling by anyone unless its me." She forced a smile which they all knew was to depict nothing more than the 'test me and you'll regret it' look, which was fine. As everyone began to reach for a bottle of beer Rachel inhaled deeply, the heaviness of said breath bringing everyone to a sudden pause. "One more thing." She sent a glare to Richard. "You guys are not allowed to bother us girls."

"What?" Was the reaction from every male in the room.

Rachel waved a hand at them dismissively. "I don't care to hear what bullshit you can come up guys are mad at Dick..." she shrugged. "... go work it out."

"With good reason," snapped Roy.

Rachel began tapping her nails consecutively against the granite counter top, her tone contorted in a taunting matter. "Oh, I'm so sorry Roy. Did Richard _hurt_ your feelings? Did you want to sit around the dining room table and discuss how you _feel_ about all this?" She rolled her eyes as Roy crossed his arms over his chest with a growl then she looked over to the others now. "I haven't seen my best friend Kori in two years and since she's been here I've been working like crazy. So..." she took three beers, handing two off to Kori and Karen. "... leave us be until you can all get along."

"You can't just tell us what to..." began Vic.

"You _really_ want to have this conversation?" Rachel's words barely scraping passed hr gritted teeth now.

Kori didn't even try to hold back the giggle that came from her, earning a glare from Vic who had retreated. Clearing her throat, she caught Richard's gaze which stared down at her in slight disappointment. She glanced around the room and when she was certain no one was paying the least bit of attention to the two, she took Richard by the arm and led him to the corner of the kitchen.

"Whats wrong?" He asked.

She inhaled deeply, her eyes scanning over the others to ensure their privacy. "I'm fine. I just..." her voice lowered as she leaned closer to him. "... why wouldn't you tell me that Roy is the one that hurt you?"

"I'm not hurt. It's a bruise Kori, and honestly I think we both can agree that I deserved it," His smirk suddenly made an appearance instantly reviving a shudder of emotion to course through Kori. "... especially considering I don't regret kissing you."

This earned a smile from Kori, her eyes focused on his now. She inhaled deeply, her expression softening as she lifted a hand to the bruise beneath his eye. She shook her head. "This is all my fault." She ran a thumb across the length of said bruise, coaxing another smile from Richard in which she didn't notice. She couldn't see beyond the stained skin beneath her fingers; the guilt she felt only deepening as she lingered in her gaze. "I am so sorry about this. Roy is just... he's..."

"Don't worry about it," Richard said with a slight laugh, moving closer to her and leaving her hand undisturbed as she caressed his cheek gently, the intensity of her eyes entrancing him. Placing a hand upon her waist, he said, "Listen... before you leave tonight or... if you end up staying, which ever it is... I wanna see you before the nights through."

Kori blushed, her hand removing itself from him now. She bit at her lip slightly. "I don't know. Me, you... drunk... that might not be a great combination."

He raised a hand to her now, redirecting a stray crimson curl from her face. "Are you saying you can't control yourself around me?"

Kori shook her head, trying to stifle her laughter; laughter spawned out of nothing more than sheer embarrassment. Sure, Richard had been quite forward with his intentions toward her and while she was certain it was far to obvious to him that she felt the same,... it was still awkward around him now that he was openly being flirtatious. "Uh... " her eyes focused on his now, causing a wave of anxiety through Richard as she arched a brow in a seductive manner. "Maybe."

He swallowed hard, oblivious to the wide-eyed stare he had focused on her, the insane amount of possibilities and scenarios that involved each of them at the end of the night were plaguing his thoughts; none being that of innocence in the least bit. It was as Kori giggled again that he returned to reality. "Sorry,... uh," he cleared his throat. "I still want to see you though."

Kori hesitated, unsure if it would be such a smart move on her part to condone such a meeting; especially when she is well aware of how flirtatious and out of hand she can get when she drinks. "Umm..."

""I'll make sure you don't get too wild." He assured her with a chuckle.

She sighed. "Alright, just... just promise me that you wont... I mean... don't be confrontational with Roy. He has a bit of a tempter and I don't want him to..."

"Woa woa woa..." Richard said with a curt exhale, his hands shaking in the space between them, both surprised at her sudden change of the subject as well as the subject of choice. "You think I'm intimidated by Roy?"

Kori's silence and hesitant expression did nothing more than infuriate him, her words only adding to this. "Look, he hit you _really_ hard and..."

"You think this caught me off guard? Kori..." he rolled his eyes and an arrogant laugh escaped him now. Great not only was she comfortable with only being friends but she actually thought him afraid of Roy? This was too much. "Look, don't worry about Roy alright. I certainly don't..."

"Fine. I get it. I didn't mean to make you feel ... you know... less of a man or whatever... I just..." she paused as he glared down at her, causing her to jerk her head back slightly in frustration. "Don't look at me that way. I just... " she rolled her eyes, not wanting to express her feelings as of right now. "I'm just... concerned for you."

This brought Richard into hysteric laughter. He leaned one arm against the kitchen wall beside him, his head dipping . "Kori... I didn't do anything to stop Roy from hitting me because he's my friend and I was the one in the wrong... not because I couldn't have done something about it."

"Alright... just... calm down." She smiled as he looked back at her in desperation for her to believe him. She paused as Roy suddenly began heading toward them. Lowering her voice she said, "I just don't want any fighting."

"There wont be."

"Dick..." Roy said with an obvious amount of hatred. As Richard gave him a nod, Roy looked to Kori. "Hey..." his voice was softer now, the gleam in his eyes as they wandered over her only brought Richard's frustration back. He placed a hand upon her shoulder. "I want to make sure that you and I are alright."

Kori sighed. "Look Roy... I'm not very happy with you right now and..."

Roy gave a quick glance to Richard. "Why? Because I hit him? You can't be serious."

"I am serious." Kori replied, her posture stiffening, mirroring the lack of hesitation in her anger toward him. "He's important to me and..."

"Important to you?" Roy snorted, the satisfied smirk lingering upon Richard's expression only adding to his irritation. "Kori you can't be..."

"Can we talk later?" Kori interrupted, a hand fixed at the bridge of her nose.

Roy was seething in anger now. But as he focused on Kori's relentless expression which depicted no amount of patience he blew out a calm exhale, "You promise?"

Kori rolled her eyes. "Yes I promise." As he left he gave her a quick kiss upon the cheek, sending one last glare to Richard who quickly returned the gesture. Noticing his expression Kori shoved playfully at Richard's shoulder. "What is wrong with you?"

Richard sighed, running a hand through his hair. What was wrong with him? It was a fairly good question. One he wouldn't mind being let in on the answer to. "I don't know." He honestly didn't. It's easy for anyone to see it was jealousy crystallizing within his veins but jealousy was something new to him, something he couldn't recognize for lack of experiencing it. He looked down at Kori with a hesitant smile. "I'll see you soon alright."

Kori opened her mouth to speak but was hushed into silence as Rachel pulled at her arm.

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**

"Alright..." Karen said, her eyes moving back and forth between Rachel and Kori now.

They had made their way into a separate room, settling around two couches. It was far too obvious to them Karen was about to burst with the amount of gossip she was withholding until this point and to be honest neither Rachel or Kori were particularly interested in the moment. They had settled in another one of the Manor's large sitting rooms, separate from the boys to enjoy themselves without the drama of Kori and Richard being together with Roy in the same room. Yet, this issue aside there were plenty of complications swarming each of these girls minds.

First, Rachel, she was suffering silently from an anxiety attack each time her mind wandered to the inevitable fact that after two years without seeing him, her ex boyfriend Gar would be waltzing into the Manor. What to expect from him, how he was doing, if he was happy, if she could end such happiness... it was all maneuvering in circles within the confines of her mind; not that she would ever voice this fact.

Second, Kori, well, we are already well aware of whats bothering her, but from everything else aside, as in Richard and Roy, there was the situation of her actual daily life at hand. She had a meeting with Bruce a few days ago to discuss the fact that the gallery she was to work for had loved her work and requested she fulfill a deadline. Which, in any other case would be fine, except for the fact that since Komi's death she hadn't picked up a paintbrush, it was too hard for her to let herself feel and painting was how she expressed her emotions, otherwise rendering such a request from Bruce, from the gallery, something she had agreed to with a smile on her face, it rendered her useless.

Now, Karen, she had something on her mind that had been scratching at her tongue waiting to be spoken and here we go...

"Alright..." she looked to Rachel who sat legs criss crossed on one of the couches opposite Karen, her demeanor perfectly locked down into the normal amount of carelessness as ever. "I have the best news." She looked to Kori now, who sat curled into the couch at the other end of Rachel's spot, her knees tucked beneath her and her head resting on her propped up palm. "I ran into Garth today." This surprisingly sparked Rachel's attention and her posture stiffened, noticing this Karen smiled wider. "Exactly. He's in town for a few months, holidays or business, whatever, the point is..." she paused looking to Kori again. "... he's single."

Completely uninterested in the conversation Kori had tuned out, paying far too much attention to her drink at hand. She jumped slightly as Rachel extended a leg out, her foot nudging Kori's hipbone from the other side of the couch. "What?"

"Did you hear anything I said?"

Kori shrugged. "I'm sorry I'm feeling a little stressed out. Tell me again." Karen crossed her arms, causing a heavy sigh to leave Kori in an obvious attempt to regain her control in this moment. Resituating herself in her seat she smiled. "Really, you have my undivided attention. I promise."

This seemed to please Karen for her annoyed expression quickly faded. "Alright so Garth... you remember Garth right?"

"Garth?" Kori asked, passing a glance of confusion between the two.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "You know... Garth, the guy in college that was always hitting on you but you were for some odd reason faithful to Roy."

As Kori laughed Karen elaborated. "Yea, everyone called him fishlegs, he was the captain of the swim team, long black hair, dark eyes..."

"Amazing swimmers body, toned and... ugh...," Rachel added somewhat entranced with the memory of him herself.

"Oh, right, fishlegs right... or Garth." Kori began, her voice slowly strengthening as her memory of the man in question came flooding back to her. "Right, yea he was... really cute."

"Right," Karen continued, her excitement picking up once more, unable to sit still in her seat now. "Well, he's in town for a while and when I ran into him... guess who he asked about?"

As Karen's eyes widened, Kori became nervous. She knew where this was going and her assumption was only confirmed as Rachel's smirk spread across her face. "Oh no... If he asked about me..."

"He did and I already told him..." began Karen.

"No..." Kori's entire body tensed. "_Please_ tell me you didn't Karen."

"Why?" Rachel's anger suddenly making an appearance once more. She narrowed her eyes over Kori, she needed to ensure nothing was going on with her and Richard or else she would have a problem, a big problem with it. "You're not involved with anyone else right?"

Kori swallowed hard, her mind already well aware of Rachel's suspicion when in relation to herself and Richard. Clearing her throat she said, "No, of course not. I just... I'm not really in the mood for a relationship or..."

"Oh come on." Karen pleaded.

"This is the only way to prove you're not having sex with Dick."

Kori's eyes widened. "Rachel! I am _not_ having sex with anyone let alone your cousin, especially when your cousin is Dick Grayson. How could you even think that? We kissed it's not a..."

"Geeze," Rachel snorted. "Get all defensive why don't you?"

Kori paused, is that was she was doing? Did she just make it that obvious? Well, I suppose this can only get better right? "Look, I just, I know you are all freaking out about what happened earlier today and I just... I'm done hearing about it."

"Then go on a date with Garth." Karen chimed in again.

Kori hesitated, whether it would bother Richard or not, which it would, she wasn't the least bit interested.

"We won't bother you about '_Richard_' anymore," Rachel laughed, using a very mocking tone.

Kori lifted a hand to her forehead, "Alright... fine, but..." she paused. "I'm serious I don't want anyone to find out about this. This stays between us."

"If you're suggesting that I'm going to run and tell Dick about this..." she paused for the precise effect she got in return. Kori's eyes sold her out entirely; the anticipation of Rachel to finish her sentence was far too eager. "... I wont."

A sigh of relief went unnoticed by everyone as Kori gave her all to release it slowly. She wasn't entirely sure how she felt about Richard or what would progress, or not, with them so she was not looking forward to this night with Garth; and yet, perhaps this is what she needed whether she wanted it or not. In the end the last thing she wanted was to be hurt, and Richard, Gothams' prince of a playboy, not sure how those two coincide but either way, it wasn't exactly something she could neglect.

"Besides, you need to stop spending time with Dick alone." Karen said, causing Kori to submit to nerves again. "He'd only hurt you."

"I don't know he seems far different then you two make him out to be. He seems..." she zoned out in her own thoughts, a smile creeping across her dazed expression. "... sweet, gentle and... he's only ever trying to help me." She shrugged to herself, his face, those dashing eyes, burning in her memory. "He's just... nice."

Rachel gagged. "You make him sound so innocent."

"And the only time he can ever be mistaken for innocent is when he's on the prowl for a new girl. Which is never to be trusted. Dick is a sweet guy to his friends but none that are women. You see how he treats Rachel and I... we're annoying to him most of the time."

Rachel continued now, making Karen fall silent. "If you honestly believe Dick is being nice it's only because he ended things with Babs and now he's... got urges."

"We're only friends." She clarified, her elated emotions coming to a halt now.

"Right, because Dick has _plenty_ of female friends." Rachel's laughter continued.

"What about you two?"

"I'm his cousin, we aren't really friends, just friends with the same people and put in situations where we endure one another's company."

"Right, and I'm dating Vic so... yea, we're friends but I doubt we would be without certain circumstances being what they are." Karen sighed. "Look, we're not saying you can't hang out with him, only that you need to be very cautious; Dick is only after one thing and you're smarter than to be fooled by his charm."

Kori gave a nod of understanding, the hesitancy that surged through her veins unleashed an emotion in which she was almost unable to force composure in this moment. The Dick Grayson they described and the Richard she knew were completely different but she was suddenly asking herself if this was his game? Is this what he does to lure women in... then after he's had them its Dick Grayson's time to shine? She released a heavy sigh, trying to seem interested in Rachel and Karen's continuing conversation but her thoughts were anything but clear.

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**

Richard approached the round poker table, its occupants almost already full with the friends that lined its perimeter. Ignoring the glares he took his place at the head of the table and began shuffling a set of cards. He knew they had every right to be upset with him, but did he really care? Would it have really changed his decision when he kissed Kori to remember the consequences he was reaping now?... not a chance, so he shrugged it off.

"You know," Ryan spoke first, his tone barely biting back the amount of anger and betrayal he felt from Richard. "... we still need to talk about you violating my sister."

This made Richard laugh, which was inappropriate but the way Ryan had chosen to word the scenario was far too dramatic for his taking. Divvying the proper amount of cards to each person there, he inhaled deeply.

"... and my girlfriend," Roy added. Okay, now this was beginning to annoy Richard.

He set his glare upon Roy and leaning back in his chair he smiled. "She wasn't complaining." He lifted his beer to his lips now, his tone never more arrogant. "In fact, I would go so far to say she enjoyed it." He broke into laughter as Roy tried to lunge at him over the table but was brought to a halt by Vic who forced Roy back into his seat.

"You really are something, you know that Dick?" Roy growled.

He shrugged. "I'm using her words not mine."

"Did... did she really say that?" Ryan asked, his eyes directed down upon green table felt.

"Of course she didn't. He's just trying to come up with any reason so we aren't upset with him." Roy seethed.

"I don't really care if any of you approve with what I did."

It was Vic that took to the conversation now. "Look, Kori means everything to me and..."

"She's important to all of us, "Added Wally.

"Just make sure you don't make a mistake like this again." Vic said sternly.

"Again?" Roy raged. "Don't tell me you're all just going to forgive him so easily?" He exhaled curtly, the cards within his hand bending against his tight grip. "He's only going to hurt her. We can't simply dismiss this as though he doesn't have intentions that go beyond kissing her. I think we all know him better than that."

Richard hesitated. He wasn't trying to hurt anyone when kissing Kori, it was something that was unexpected and yet... while he didn't regret it, it was still wrong; at least in the eyes of Ryan. "Look, Ry,... I would never do anything to hurt Kori, nor you, so... " he paused noticing Roy stiffen again. "Or you Roy. Look, I didn't plan on kissing her or her kissing me back, but either way it doesn't mater, she and I are just friends, you heard her say it herself."

There was a brief silence before Ryan lifted his cars to his possession. "Alright..." his neutral tone of voice reviving the room in a better mood. "... lets play some cards."

"Oh hey..." Wally sparked. "Looks like we're all single again. You know what that means."

Richard rolled his eyes. "We're not going clubbing if that's what you have on your mind."

"Are you serious?" Wally said, somewhat offended. "Dude, playboy Dick Grayson hasn't been on the market in forever and he just so happens to be the best wingman."

"So?" Richard laughed.

"He's right," Ryan added. "You always bring the attention our way just by being near us. The women flock."

Richard shook his head. "We can discuss it later."

"Oh, you know whose in town right?" Wally added with much enthusiasm. "Garth."

Ryan smiled. "I haven't seen Garth in forever."

"I invited him to join us at the club tomorrow so... be ready everyone." Wally laughed.

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**

A loud screech sounded from within the hallway alerting the boys that remained gathered around the poker table a mere hour later. Staggering footsteps could be heard approaching and with a sigh Rachel suddenly entered.

"What's wrong?" Ryan asked, concerned.

Rachel rubbed at her temple. "We have a little problem. I made the mistake of telling Kori that Gar was going to show up here tomorrow." She sighed. "She's... a little..." she paused as Kori stumbled into the room beside Karen. "... correction: very drunk."

"Why would it be a mistake to have told her about Gar?" Richard asked confused, his eyes taking in Kori's overly infuriated behavior as she tried to make her way toward the table.

"Don't worry about it." Ryan said, standing. He stepped to Kori with a nervous smile. "You alright?"

Kori ignored Ryan entirely, her anger being saved for one person alone. She placed a hand on her hip and narrowed her eyes over Vic. "Victor Stone! Did you know about this?"

Vic swallowed hard, looking to Karen for help.

Invading his path to Karen, Kori sidestepped in front of his vision. "I'll ask you one more time." She waved a finger at him violently. "Did you know Gar was going to be here tomorrow?"

He hesitated once more, running a hand over his bald head. "Uh..."

"We just weren't sure how to tell you Kor. Just calm down and..." began Ryan, unintentionally setting fire to Kori's anger even more.

"You mean to tell me all of you were aware of this?"

The room fell silent now. Lowering her head into her hands, she sighed. "This is unbelievable." She paused, looking to Richard, the sadness in her eyes tearing at his composure, her voice sounding shakily. "Did you know about this?"

His eyes widened. "I... well,... I'm the one that invited him. I don't understand why this is such a big deal."

Everyone was utterly confused as she released a sigh of relief. "Good, you don't need to know."

"I would like to know."

Kori shook her head. In the end it would be difficult to see Gar again and she was clearly upset with everyone in the room but the main concern was that Richard remained in the dark about why her and Gar were at odds. "I realize that but this is something I can't afford you to become aware of."

"He is apart of this group Kor, maybe it wouldn't be such a bag thing if he knew. Maybe he could help you through it." Rachel insisted.

Kori shook her head. "No,... he can't know. This is something I don't want any of you to tell him."

"Why not?" Richard asked, almost hurt.

"Because."

"Because?" Rachel droned.

Kori growled slightly. "Because I don't want him to know. He's the only one that doesn't treat me or look at me the way any of you do. He isn't constantly judging me."

"Yea but he would if he knew. You make it sound as though us caring about you is something to be taken offense to in response and it's not. We're just concerned."

"I don't need any of you to be concerned." She paused, her breathing becoming more strained. "I need to go to bed. This is all just too much." She passed one last glance to Vic, then with a roll of her eyes she took to the hallway.

"What was that all about?" Richard asked, the room clearing immediately in an attempt to avoid his question.

Richard sat in silence for a long while, giving everyone a chance to find their way to their rooms before he sought after Kori. He was certain she would be asleep but as he knocked ever so lightly on her door, it suddenly thrust open. Kori looked to him with a look of rage that slowly melted at the recognition of who was standing before her.

"Richard... hi..." she said breathlessly.

"Hey..." he paused noticing her with a set of keys in her hand. "Where are you going?"

She sighed, resting a hand against her forehead. "I can't... I can't be here right now and I have Silkie at home all alone and..." She paused as his brow arched. "Oh.. no, I'm not driving. I called a cab but if it's all the same to you I'd rather not let anyone know I'm leaving... or else..." she began to ramble now, whether she was even still speaking to Richard or among herself he couldn't tell. "... it would just be chaotic and I just need some peace and quiet."

"Alright..." Richard chuckled. "Don't worry. I'll take you."

She paused. "No... its alright. You've been drinking and..."

"I'm fine, really. I want to take you..." he gave her a comforting smile. "... if you'll let me."

She bit at her lip in hesitation. "Alright."

When they finally arrived at Vic's apartment Richard began to fidget his feet slightly as they stood in front of the door. Unlocking it Kori paused, becoming aware of his awkward behavior. With a smile she said, "Do you want to come in?"

"Are you sure? I don't..."

Pushing the door open she motioned for him to enter. "To be honest I really don't think I'm going to be getting all that much sleep tonight."

Richard entered locking the door behind them now and watching as Kori made her way into the living room. "Is that because of Gar?" She gave him a nervous look before ignoring his question, kneeling down on the floor now, calling out to the kitten. "I don't understand why you can't talk to me about this."

"Oh, my little baby." Kori giggled as Silkie came darting out of the dark hallway and into her arms. Returning to her feet Kori sent several kissed to the small kitten, then looked to Richard with a sigh. "Look, I really wish I could. If I'm being honest I find it surprisingly easier to discuss more emotional things with you but..." she shrugged, then took a spot on the large couch behind her, snuggling the kitten ever closely. "This is different."

"It's just annoying that everyone knows and I don't. If it's really important I think I should know."

Kori smiled now, finding his frustration never more adorable. His stunning eyes glowing back at her in the dim lighting around them. Patting the empty spot beside her on the couch she said, "True, but you should just take pride in the fact that you're the only one who is immune to my anger when in most situations; like now, I'm not the least bit upset with you." She giggled as he sat beside her and even though her words had clearly not satisfied his desire to understand, she brushed it aside. "Richard, one day I'll tell you but for right now... I just want to leave it alone."

Leaning back in the couch, he exhaled slowly. She was more stubborn sometimes then even he; a fact which he found most frustrating. "Alright, fine... " he turned to her in his seat now, a hand laid out at the backing of the couch. "So... this is Silkie?"

Kori beamed a smile up at him. "Do you want to hold him?"

"Uh..."

"Come on, he'll love you." She said, setting the kitten into his lap, his hands scrambling nervously to situate the small animal. The sight of him so flustered caused another giggle from Kori. "See, he loves you, and you have never looked so manly holding him."

Richard rolled his eyes. "Thanks."

Kori paused, jumping in her own skin slightly as she found herself staring at Silkie in Richard's strong hands with doting eyes. Clearing her throat she said, "So... did you want to stay?" He immediately looked to her in surprise, that arched brow raised in surprise. "No, I mean... I'm only saying that if you didn't want to drive back tonight you could... I mean, if you wanted to ..."

"You're adorable when you're nervous." He chuckled, his attention focused on Silkie as his fingers scratched behind the kittens ear. "I prefer to stay..." he looked to her with a childish grin."... if... I mean,... you know... if you don't mind me staying, or... I mean..."

Kori rolled her eyes. It was obvious he was teasing her but she realized in a moment where she had previously been furious with fate itself... it sure seemed fate had brought Richard to her and perhaps Gar was just a consequence in relation to such happiness to which she felt in this precise moment. Either way, whether her guard was up around him or not she couldn't help but allow herself to enjoy moments such as these; Richard flirting as if it were the casual thing to do, and her sitting back trying to resist him. The only issue now was tomorrow but she would deal with that as it came, Richard at her side giving her confidence whether he was aware of it or not. 

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**


	8. Garfield Logan

**Chapter Eight: Garfield Logan**

"Kori..." Richard mumbled, his tired mind only just becoming alert to the morning rays of sun that shot out from the curtains across from them lingering over his vision.

He paused looking down at his current position; Kori's head snug against his shoulder, her knees tucked over his lap, his arms around her and even Silkie residing in a slumber upon Kori's chest. The scene before him instantly rushing his veins with satisfaction. The events of the night before and how this morning was even possible only making him happier. They had stopped all conversation about anything or anyone other than themselves, turning a movie on to ease Kori's mind from the impending doom she was certain would occur on this day; at Gar's arrival. The last thing he could recall clearly was Silkie jolting from his lap in order to escape Kori's legs which had tilted to the side and into Richard. He remembered smiling at the realization that Kori had finally drifted off to sleep, a small whimper of exhaustion being the only other sign that she was nonetheless incoherent.

It was a strange thing,... him being excited to awake to someone cuddling up to him. He never approved of it with Babs and was otherwise shocked that he was even enjoying himself in this moment, a moment he would have to bring an end to; no matter how comfortable her frail body felt in his grasp.

Clearing his throat, unsure of what her reaction would be to waking in his arms, he spoke softly. "Kori... Kori, we should probably get up."

Before even opening her eyes, Kori allowed a small smile, to which only she could see from the angle of her head. She could feel Richard rub a hand gently down the length of her legs which she was certain her body was reacting to with far too much enthusiasm.

Finally opening her eyes, realizing their position on the couch, she giggled, rubbing at her eyes. "I'm sorry. I must have fallen asleep."

Richard swallowed hard as her gaze met his. Her eyes were beautiful on any given day but in the morning, like now, when they have been hidden beneath the veil of eyelids in a well needed rest, they glistened ever more innocently, ever more radiant, reflecting a kaleidoscope of intense green hues of utter perfection. Finding himself rather speechless, remained perfectly still as Kori stood, her words at first not registering in his mind.

"You're very comfortable to sleep on." She yawned in a prolonged stretch, Richard finding his eyes wander to the small exposed skin at her waist as her shirt rose slightly with this action. Noticing his curved brow, Kori sent an outstretched hand to him. "We better get back to the Manor before everyone starts getting suspicious."

Accepting her hand Richard stood, clearing his throat. "Right umm... did you want to eat something before we go?"

Kori laughed, her body curled over as she gathered her thick red hair into a pontytail, then flinging her head back she sighed. "I am..." she paused, a hand on her hip. "I don't... cook."

Richard paused. "Are you serious?"

"Not all women can cook so if you are about to throw one of those well-known stereotypes that all women should cook then..."

"Relax." He yawned, running a hand through his hair. The main thought racing past his mind was the fact that even though she was right, that they should return to the Manor, but he didn't exactly want this time with her to end. "Well... we could cook something real quick..." he paused as she opened her mouth to object. "... or I can cook. It will be something simple. I need a little coffee in me before I drive anyway."

Kori hesitated, following him slowly as he made his way into the kitchen lingering over the coffee pot. She leaned back into one of the opposite counters merely observing him. There was a moment when he passed a sweet glance back at her, a small curve at his lips and it was now that Kori had convinced herself that this was her favorite time to be around him. He was hardly awake, his tired eyes glazed in response to the morning brightness, and his voice uneven and never more attractive.

She inhaled deeply, tapping her fingers against the counter at her side suddenly feeling out of place. Then, noticing him pull a bowl and a few ingredients from the cupboard she narrowed her eyes. "Wait... you were serious? You actually know how to cook?"

Richard laughed turning to her and taking her hand, leading her toward the counter in front of him. "You're not going to throw out one of those stereotypes that men don't know how to cook are you?" As Kori giggled, he tried to hold back a smile. "Now, I may not know how to cook a lot of things but I have learned a few tricks from Alfred growing up."

"Uh... it's not that I haven't been taught before..." she said, suddenly fairly nervous with the fear of embarrassing herself in front of him. Her hands shook slightly as he placed a small white bowl before her on the counter, his body lingering behind her closely. "... I just... I always seem to mess things up one way or another or..." She fell silent again as he handed her a large whisk. "Richard I'm serious. I ..." She inhaled deeply as he chuckled, his body leaning into hers now as his arms wrapped around to the front of her, pouring small amounts of ingredients into the bowl, his voice vibrating against her ear at the closeness.

"I'm only asking you to stir." He laughed again, well aware that Kori was becoming more flustered at the zero amount of space between them.

Kori slowly lowered the whisk into the bowl making small, distracted circles. She felt an intense ripple of chills surge through her as Richard placed his hand over hers, adjusting her stirring technique, or lack there of. After a few seconds, his hand leaving hers, she became comfortable in her movements and smiled down at the powdered mixture that was slowly becoming more smooth. Just when she was completely confident in herself, her heart jumped in her chest at the presence of Richard's hand on her waist as he reached to the further counter for a small bottle of vanilla extract and adding it to the mixture.

His hand over hers once more, he quickened the pace of her stirring then both of his hands found their way to her waist now and he brought his lips to her ear once more. "There, you did it."

With a nervous giggle Kori turned to Richard, never more pleased at his confidence which allowed his hands to remain on her waist. She stared up at him with a small blush. "What are we making exactly?"

He shrugged one shoulder, then stepping around her began to pour the bowl contents into small circles upon a preheated pan. "Pancakes..." he looked to her with a smile. "Fancy huh?"

Kori rolled her eyes. "Yea well... I don't exactly think I was much help."

"Sure you were." He paused handing her a spatula, his hands on her hips again he guided her toward the stove. "Now... just flip them over and ..."

"Oh no... I ..."

"Would you calm down. The worst that could happen is that they burn... which is what they will do soon if you don't just flip them over."

Richard laughed to himself as Kori's eyes suddenly widened as if this was the most vital of tasks. Leaning back against the opposite counter he crossed his arms over his chest merely watching her as she fought through her nerves. As she flipped the last pancake she allowed a small squeal of excitement to escape her. Sure, it was something as simple as flipping a small pancake but it was a situation she had never done successfully. Ridiculous... but very Kori.

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**

"Where is Kori?" Ryan asked, being the last of the group within the Manor to wake and join everyone who was already enjoying the breakfast Alfred had set out.

There was a brief silence before Rachel shrugged. "Who cares. She's probably sulking in her room about Gar. She'll get over it."

"How do you think she'll react to all of this?" Wally asked, taking advantage of the fact that Kori was not present yet.

"I don't know," Vic said, in response to the several anticipatory faces that looked to him for some sort of perspective on Kori. Sure, they were best friends, but time together was not entirely on their side. Vic was somewhat bothered by the fact that he was now no more special than anyone else sitting at this table, when in the old days he was always able to anticipate Kori's reactions.

"Well, I'm excited to see Gar again," Wally said, returning his attention to his plate of waffles. "Its been to long."

"You mean you just miss laughing at his pathetic jokes?" Karen snickered, Wally rolling his eyes in response.

"Do you remember that time he set fire to the kitchen at Vic's place?" Roy laughed.

"Or the time he shoved Rachel, fully clothed into the pool." Ryan chuckled, shaking his head. "Your face Rae... priceless."

"I think she actually turned red, her entire body, she was so furious." Vic added. "That vein in her neck shook violently for a good three days before she finally calmed down."

As laughter rippled throughout the table, it came to a halt once it reached Rachel who merely gritted her teeth behind closed lips at the sight before her. "Can we not take a trip down memory lane?"

Everyone turned to her, knowing perfectly well things between her and Gar had ended badly and she was surely not looking forward to seeing him again after all of this time.

"Well... I think it'll be great to see the old grass stain again." Vic sighed, brushing Rachel's distaste for conversation about Gar aside. "He's a weird one."

"Thanks."

Silent. Wide eyed expressions all turning to Rachel now as the familiar voice echoed around them. Rachel looked to the exit of the dinning room, finding none other than Gar himself standing, arms at his sides, his hands clutching two suitcases.

"Hey Rae..." he said casually.

Casually, calmly, neutrally, ... it didn't matter, the same reaction would arise from Rachel and everyone knew it; especially Gar. She released her fork to the plate with a loud clank and immediately stood. As she made her way into the kitchen, taking the alternate route back to the living room and to the hallway, without coming into contact with Gar, he looked to the others with a sigh.

"So, I'm guessing she still hates me?"

Laughter erupted now as they each stood, welcoming Gar with a comforting embrace. As they settled back into their seats, Gar helping himself to one as well, the conversation began once again.

"So, Garfield Logan. What the hell brought you back to Gotham City?" Vic asked.

Gar shrugged. "I think we all know it was Kori." The happiness in the room suddenly receded into uneasiness. Gar's large green eyes glanced around the table hesitantly. "So... where is she?"

"I think she's still asleep." Wally answered.

"Do you think she'll be alright with seeing me again? I mean, does she even know I'm going to be here? I would hate to ambush her with my arrival."

"Oh no, she knows you're here. That's probably why she's still asleep." Karen sighed.

"Right well... where's Dick then?"

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**

"Kori come on. You're really not ready yet?" Richard called down the hallway.

There was a brief shuffling of sorts before she appeared before him, her hands tugging at a large suitcase to which she dragged against the thick carpet beneath her. As Richard rushed toward her lifting the suitcase with ease she let out a heavy sigh. "Thanks, that things ... really heavy."

"You do realize there's only one day left of the weekend right?"

Kori shrugged as they reached the front door. "So, I never know what I'll need." She paused lifting Silkie from the ground. "Are you sure its alright that I take him with me? I wouldn't want to..."

"Its fine. Just make sure you don't lose him. The Manor can be very confusing."

She rolled her eyes, following him to the car now as she finished locking the front door. "No kidding, but no worries, I'll make sure he behaves."

The drive to the Manor was a quick one, regardless of the traffic as a result of the laughter their conversation brought. Time seemed never more fleeting then when they were in each others company and right now was no exception.

As Richard pulled through the Manor's large gates, finally bringing the car to a halt, he paused and looked to Kori. She sat, her palms sweaty now as her eyes focused on the front door.

"You ready for this?"

She inhaled deeply. "Yes." The two quickly exited the car, Richard finding his way to her side, taking her hand. "Wait..." She paused as they reached the first step before the Manor. "I... I can't do this. I was wrong. I can't..."

Richard lowered himself down from the first step and brought Kori into him, a hand resting at the base of her jaw line now. "You _can_ do this Kori." He sent her a sweet smile. "Trust me, and hey... if there's ever a moment it gets to hectic in there for you, just... just tell me and you and I can leave for a little while."

Kori lingered in his gaze, an involuntary smile stretching across her face. Pausing she looked back to the door. As Richard fixed a key into the lock Kori shook her head. "I hate you for inviting me to this stupid weekend."

He chuckled, pausing before opening the door and looked down at her one last time. "I didn't force you to come." Her nerves were becoming far too apparent to even an untrained eye and with a deep inhale he leaned down to her, a small kiss upon her lips. "I'm glad you're here though."

"Well, well,... look who it is." Vic said, as Richard swung the door open. He wasn't entirely sure how Kori would react to the small gesture considering she had been very clear on her stance of wanting to be nothing more than friends for now, but he couldn't help it.

Glancing around, Richard found that Vic was the only one within sight. Drawing him closer, he said, "Can we keep this between us." He paused taking Kori's hand as she remained completely frozen in place even as he pulled her into the Manor. "Look, nothing happened between us, I promise, so... if we could..."

"You alright Kor?" Vic interrupted, noticing she was slightly disheveled at the moment.

Kori instantly snapped from her thoughts. "Yes... um..." she looked to Richard with a small blush. "I just... is Gar here already?"

"I am."

Kori's eyes widened as they set on Gar who had recognized Kori's voice from the dinning room and quickly made his way to her. She overlooked his appearance just as he did the same before she finally spoke. "Gar... you..."

She fell silent as he lunged toward her, hugging at her tightly. "I've missed you so much Kor." He looked down at her now. "How have you been? You look amazing."

Kori passed a glance to Richard finding an instant calm develop over her. Smiling back at Gar now, she said, "Its... its great to see you."

"Do you think we could talk alone? Just... you know before everyone gets involved and..."

"Sure, absolutely." Kori said. She paused turning to Richard and giving him a warm hug, more for herself then for him, but either way it brought a sense of satisfaction to each of them.

Before leaving, Gar gave Richard an awkward side hug. "Dick, man, its been forever. How you been?"

He shrugged, flashing his dashing smile back at Kori. "Much better these days."

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**

Kori and Gar stood in an awkward silence within one of the many rooms in the Manor, both nervous to begin a conversation they knew one day would be inevitable.

Clearing her throat Kori said, "I really am glad you're here Gar. I know I seem a little upset but... it's not you, really."

"I know Kor." He said, raking a hand through his messy green mop of hair. "I hope you understand why I had to come. I couldn't just ignore your return." He shrugged. "I've really missed you."

"Me too."

"So... how uh,... how have things been? I mean, how are you... you know dealing?" This was the moment Kori was not looking forward to. The memories he was otherwise drawing attention to without actually speaking them out clearly was nothing short of frustrating. "I heard about Komi..." his voice shook slightly. "I'm really sorry. She was..."

"She was kind of a bitch." Kori said with a small giggle, which immediately lightened the mood between them. It was obvious to both of them she was merely deflecting the previous question he was dancing around so he persisted.

"Yea... but she was you're sister Kor. I can't begin to understand what it must feel like to lose someone..."

"I don't...uh,... I don't really want to discuss her."

"I can understand that but I think it's a good idea that you don't lock you're feelings away. Last time you did that..."

"I know!" She shouted, surprised by her own anger. Shutting her eyes, she tried to control her breathing which had become rapid now. "I'm sorry... I just, I can't even think about what I did... the incident... without wanting to vomit. I just... its too much and I'm just trying to forget about it. I know I was wrong, I know it was a pathetic instant of weakness but I'm better now, really I am."

"Alright... but..."

"And as far as Komi...I am talking about it but... not to everybody."

"That's fine, as long as you are in fact talking about it. Who is it? A therapist or..."

"I don't need a therapist Gar." Her teeth were grinding now. Was it so hard to forgive and forget the mistakes that haunted her past? "I don't need that kind of help."

He shook a hand in front of her to silence her. "No,... I didn't mean that. I just... I assumed..."

"I've been talking to Richard about her."

Gar hesitated, his thick brows burrowing. "You mean Dick? As in Dick Grayson?"

Kori rolled her eyes, feeling far too tired of everyone's judgement of her friendship with Richard. Exhaling curtly she placed a hand upon her waist, "If you're going to stand there and preach about how horrible it is that I'm friends with him and that I'm fooling myself into believing he and I are capable of an innocent friendship then.."

"Woa, calm down." Gar laughed. "No, actually, ... I was gonna say that you made the right choice." He paused as Kori's eyes narrowed in hesitancy almost as if she didn't believe him, which she didn't. "Really Kor, I always thought you and Dick would be great friends." He laughed. "Actually there was once a time when Karen and I were trying to get you two together but then he met that girl and..."

"Wait... what?"

"Dick was that blind date asshole that stood you up."

Kori rolled her eyes, but found humor in the irony of it all. With a laugh she said, "I doubt that, Rachel would never have approved."

His eyes grew wide. "Oh, I never said she did, but Karen and I talked her into it. She had this theory that if anything you'd be the one to break his heart. You and you're feisty attitude."

Kori sighed. Maybe back then that would have been possible but she found herself never more self-conscious, never more insecure. She paused, stepping away from her own stress for a moment and tuned into the awkward behavior Gar sported before her. "So... Rachel, have you seen her yet?"

Gar sighed, leaning back in a chair beside him. "Yea, actually she just got up and stormed out of the room; I'm assuming she locked herself in her room."

"What ever happened between you two?"

Gar swallowed hard, having hoped to avoid this conversation. "Uh... well, after you left a lot of things changed."

Kori's heart sank. Could this really be her fault? Did her leaving honestly have this much effect on everyone? Ignoring the intense uncomfortability she was suddenly thrown into , she listened intently.

"When you... I mean, when you left, especially after..." he paused, his eyes nervously glancing away from her. "... especially after the 'incident'," he shook his head. "Things just weren't the same after you did what you did and slowly it affected all of us, and when you disappeared things only got worse. We didn't know where you were, if you were even alive and..." He sighed, lowering his head into his hands. "Rachel was a mess. Her emotions, her anger were... uncontrollable and... she would lash out against everyone, even herself and she and I just, we fell apart Kor."

As he focused on her once more Kori had to turn away, a tear glistening down her cheek. "This is my fault."

"No, we understood why you had to leave, why you felt there was no other choice, but that doesn't mean it wasn't hard on all of us." He forced a smile in hopes of cheering her up. "Look at us now..." his hands were out at his sides enthusiastically, too much excitement for Kori to actually believe it. "... we're all together again."

Kori lowered her head into her hands. "Did you still love her?" She looked up to him with his sudden silence. "_Do_ you ... still love her?"

Gar swallowed hard. "It's complicated."

"Is it?"

"It's hard to love someone when they refuse to allow such feelings to be acknowledged. She can't even handle being in the same room with me."

As he said this Kori slipped into her thoughts, his words hitting her in a way she had not intended. Was this what Richard felt for her? Surely he didn't love her, he hardly knew her, but in the end she was constantly holding back with him, pushing his affections away, not always but at a majority of the time. Maybe...

"Kor?" She snapped from her thoughts, seeing a far to concerned expression settled over Gar's features. "Are you alright?"

"I don't know. I think..." she lifted a hand to her forehead. "I think you should talk to Rachel."

He laughed. "No, I don't think I should force anything. Besides I came to see you and..."

"I think a part of you did, but I also would like to believe a part of you was hoping to see her again." This seemed to shock Gar, not in a way that he was about to deny it but rather settled over him in an epiphany of sorts. Stepping toward him Kori smiled. "Talk to her. I promise it will be worth it."

Gar hesitated. "I still wanted to discuss a few things with you."

Kori sighed, a hand at his shoulder now. "Can we not? I just would rather leave the past in the past and move forward. I'm happy, I'm excited to see you, and... I actually wake up in the morning and look forward to the day. I'd say that's progress."

Gar stared back at her in a prolonged gaze, his mind studying at the undeniable elated emotion that she was submerged in. No doubt she had Richard on the mind so it was a likely reaction but Gar was still unaware of most of the things that went on in her life. "So... Dick, he seemed rather friendly with you." At this a blush invaded Kori's complexion. "What are you so giddy about?"

Kori's blushed deepened. "I... I can't really say. I mean, I don't really understand it myself."

Gar sighed. "Come on I wont say anything."

Kori hesitated, eventually the urge to vent to someone about her feelings for Richard, undefined fully or not. She hugged at her knees, a finger twirling innocently through her hair. "I just... " she released a giggle. "I really think Richard actually... likes me. I mean, like really genuinely cares about me."

Unable to hold back a smile Gar said, "So whats the problem?"

Kori sighed. "You tell me. Beyond everyone in this house telling me how untrustworthy he is, how much of an asshole he is... and beyond that I can't seem to see passed my own insecurities long enough to let him in. I mean... Gar, I've known him less than a week and I..." Gar chuckled at the adorable whimper of frustration that sounded from her, her head dipped into her hands once again. "I really want to believe that this... everything I'm feeling is real but... its complicated."

Sitting beside her on the large bed in the room, Gar laced an arm around her, his head resting on her shoulder now. "Trust me, Dick definitely deserves to be scrutinized for his past because he is not exactly innocent when it comes to women but..." the two locked eyes, Gar's intensity and confidence in his words bringing clarity to Kori. "... he really is a good guy and if you think he's worth the risk then I would allow it to unfold." He shrugged. "You never know, he might be that prince charming you deserve."

Kori broke into laughter now, her head resting against his chest now. "That's just it Gar, I don't know that I even deserve a prince charming... if they do actually exist."

"Of course you do. What would make you think that you don't?"

Kori became nervous once more. "I just... everyone I love gets hurt one way or another and I don't think I could ever forgive myself if I..." She turned her body toward his now, the serious on her expression never more vital. "If something every happened to him, if I ever lost him I can't imagine what that pain would feel like." She rolled her eyes, a rush of anxiety straining her breathing now. "Like I said I hardly know him and I feel these emotions that are far too intense and I... it feels too good to be true. I've done my best to try to ignore them but... I don't know, I'm... I'm scared. I mean... is that normal? ... to think that I don't deserve any amount of happiness? Or maybe that's not even it, maybe I'm just afraid that any happiness I could ever have is only momentary and instead of dealing with the pain of when it finally fades that I would rather not have had it at all. Or maybe I'm afraid this is all just another fling for him and once he has me he'll move on. Or..."

"Relax Kor, has he even made a move on you?"

Kori sighed. "He kissed me."

"Well then what more proof do you need?"

"He was still dating Babs when he did."

Gar rolled his eyes, a chuckle sounding now. "That sounds like Dick."

This instantly brought Kori from her pleasant thoughts of Richard, the fear striking her now. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know..." Gar began with a shrug. "Its just... Dick's always been the ladies man. His arrogance is what keeps his reputation in full flare, never really dulling. If he kissed you while he was seeing someone else that's just his playboy ways reminding himself that he doesn't like to be deprived of what he wants." As Kori rolled her eyes, her mood slightly more frustrated, Gar hesitated. "Look, that doesn't mean he doesn't genuinely care about you. I'm only thinking that maybe you should just be cautious, just incase this is just another game to him."

There it was again, a game... how many people have referred to Richard's flirtatious behavior as nothing more than a game? The realization hit her hard, and she felt somewhat angered at the thought of him now. With insecurities outnumbering her amount of self pride now, it was her mind that had slowly begun to convince her to be more hesitant with Richard; just as she was about to give in to him. Was she completely against him now? ... I don't think so but in the end her feelings were being heavily guarded now.

"Kori." Gar laughed, his hands shaking her slightly. "Calm down. It's not as complicated as you're making it. Trust me, give me some time and I'll see how he acts around you and by the end of the night I'll give you my opinion about him. I may not have spent a lot of time with him these past few years but he's exactly the same; I can tell. Just..." he chuckled once more. "... just don't stress out over this. I know Dick, there was a time we were all inseparable so I'll be able to tell. Either way, just be glad you have something to make you smile; not everyone can say they do." As Kori calmed her breathing Gar took her hand. "Lets join the others. I'm sure they have a few opinions on how you and I reconnected."

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**

"There you two are!" Vic shouted in an overly excited volume, his mood instantly brightening at the sight of Kori and Gar mid laughter as they rejoined the dinning room. "You two getting along?"

Kori smiled, taking Kori's hand and leading Gar to the two empty seats at the end of the table. It was now, even as Kori responded to Vic, that Gar realized the glare Richard had set on him. He wasn't sure why but taking into consideration all that Kori had said, perhaps it was the fact that he was still holding onto Kori's hand. As he released it, he focused on Richard's gaze and shrugged innocently, his glare not fading.

"So where's Rachel?" Kori asked.

The table fell into an awkward silence, all eyes on their food now. Rolling her eyes Kori stood, calling to Rachel now. It took a few moments, but eventually Rachel appeared, her arms crossed and a permanent scowl gracing her features. "What?"

"Look, if I can make peace with Gar being here then so can you."

The tension in the room immediately plummeted into further amounts of uneasy emotions getting caught int he thick air that hung heavy around them now. No one spoke until Rachel finally gave in, sitting beside Kori at the table.

"Fine... Gar, its ... good to see you."

Gar's eyes widened. "Uh, yea you too."

At Kori's giggle the table slowly began to join her. Rachel was far too annoyed to be taken serious in her attempt at forced welcoming, and everyone knew it. "So,... Gar how long are you going to be in town?"

The group talked fora long while before the tension slowly began to fade, past memories, happy ones, being replayed, pulled from each of their memories reviving the happiness they all once felt with each others presence.

As of now Kori remained hunched over into the table, her cheeks flushed red, and her words breathless as she fought through her hysteric laughter at a past situation Karen had brought up. "I... I remember that." She wiped at a laughter induced tear that fell from her eyes. "I can't believe that Gar and Wally actually got away with that."

Rachel placed a hand over Kori's back, her own laughter sounding in unison. "I know, I had never seen a more pale ass then those two streaking through the quarry. Everyone was so freaked out."

"Hey," Wally announced defensively. "It was a dare and I can't say that any of you girls weren't almost caught doing similar things."

Karen spoke up now. "You're right, but we never got caught... ever. You boys just didn't know how to ..."

"Not true, " Gar chuckled. "All you three had to do was show a little more cleavage and the stunned security guards would let you go. You girls and your 'attributes' made college easy for you."

"Alright now that may be true but it wasn't the case always." Rachel snorted.

"Oh really?" Vic said. "What about the time we couldn't get into the club because we were underage, and Miss Kori here only had to ride her skirt up a little higher and we were granted full access to the bar."

Kori giggled uncontrollably now. "That was one time, and it's not as though I showed him anything."

"Anything aside from the inside of your mouth." Rachel snickered, causing Kori to beam a bright red once more.

"It was..." she paused rolling her eyes, trying her hardest to ignore that defined brow of Richard's that had arched in the distance, set on her. "Hey, I didn't hear any of you complaining."

"I was," said Roy.

Kori shook her head. "Right, but you seemed to enjoy the free drinks. Besides it's not like I slept with him, he was a little grabby but I dealt with it. Took one for the team."

"Slut," Rachel laughed, earning a slap on the shoulder from Kori.

"Things were different..." she said passing a nervous glance to Richard. "I was different."

"Well I hope not too different," Karen said, giving Kori a suggestive wave of her brows. "I heard Garth is gonna be going out to the club tonight and he invited us."

Kori rolled her eyes. "I don't think me drinking is such a good idea."

"I think it's a great idea. What better way to get you back to your old self." Wally said. "Besides, whenever Dick wasn't around it was you, Kori, who was the better wingman. You hooked us all up with more girls than I can even count."

Kori rolled her eyes. "If you think I'll be continuing that pattern then you're crazy."

"Ahh, come on," Wally teased, scrapping a hand roughly through her hair to which she quickly shoved his hand away. "Nothing drives a girl more crazy than seeing a guy choose them over someone as sexy as you."

Kori rolled her eyes again. "Sure but, ... you have Richard now so you don't need me."

He placed a hand over his heart as if he was offended. "Kori darling, I will _always_ need you."

Kori shook her head, shoving at Wally's shoulder. "You're an idiot."

"Right, but I'll always be _your_ idiot and I take pride in that."

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**

"Where are those damn girls?" Vic sighed, the men all waiting in the living room for them to be ready for the night on the town.

"I bet you anything its Kori who's taking the longest. She's got that insane amount of hair to deal with," Gar chuckled.

Wally paused. "I just text Kor and she said to leave without them and that they'd meet us there."

Vic released a deep exhale then turned to the front door. "Alright, I'm driving."

As they all began to file out of the house Richard called back to Vic. "Go ahead without me. I'm gonna grab something real quick but I'm taking my car anyway so I'll just see you there."

Once the front door shut Richard quickly made his way down the hallway stopping before Kori's door, knocking lightly. After a cheerful 'come in' he entered slowly, the sound of Kori humming to herself from the attached bathroom he smiled to himself. Leaning in the bathroom doorway, he crossed his arms merely watching Kori. She remained leaned over the sink, her face brought close to the mirror as she waved a brush of mascara over her eyes. Her humming paused as her eyes flickered to Richard in the reflecting mirror.

With a smile she returned the mascara into counter and turned to him with a smile. "I'm not ready yet. I told Wally to..."

"I know, they left already."

She hesitated, taking a moment to realize she was wearing nothing more than a thin towel wrapped tightly around her. "Uh... " she giggled nervously. "I took a quick shower I hope that's okay."

Richard lowered his gaze to the floor as she tightened the towel around her, her nerves surfacing. "Of course I don't mind." He cleared his throat. "I'll let you finish getting ready I just wanted to ask if you wanted to ride with me to the club. I'm not really sure what you girls had planned."

Regardless of the intense uncertainty where Richard was concerned Kori couldn't help but find him never more adorable than in this instant. His piercing sapphire eyes had receded to the floor nervously, his left foot kicking at the ground once as he lingered in the silence before her response. To her he had never looked more like a lost child, striving for acceptance among someone he felt nonetheless hesitant with; his all to predictable arrogance nowhere to be found.

"Umm..." she found herself looking to the floor now as well, a hand shakily redirecting a long scarlet curl behind her ear. "... sure, that sounds fine."

Her nerves heightened in intensity as his eyes snapped to hers, somewhat disappointed. "You don't have to I just..."

"No..." she smiled stepping toward him, a hand on his shoulder now. "I prefer driving with you."

She felt herself inhale deeply as that confidence restored itself within his gaze. Those pale eyes of his scanning over her every feature, making her feel nothing short of his hand inviting itself against her cheek now. "I'm looking forward to tonight." He paused noticing her chest raise in an uneven breath. "Are you almost ready? You looked beautiful before. I don't know what else you needed to do."

He took satisfaction at the deep red hue of her rosy cheeks as she blushed before him now, turning her body away from him and back to the mirror. "I'm almost done Richard." She glanced to his reflection once more with that smile that made his knees weak. "Give me ten more minutes."

There was a brief, lingering silence made up of reflecting smiles between the two before the bedroom door behind Richard flew open allowing the loud conversation of Rachel and Karen to invade the silence.

Rachel came to a halt brows burrowing at Richard's presence. "I thought all the guys left?"

Richard shrugged moving away from the bathroom and laying himself back against the bed int he center of the room. "Someone has to drive you three crazy girls."

Rachel knew what he was doing, she could tell by that all too familiar devious smirk that resided over his features that he was up to no good. Well aware his intentions with Kori, no matter how many times he insisted they were innocent... she knew better. Not giving Rachel the satisfaction her scowl desired he placed an arm behind his head and a sigh of satisfaction escaped him.

Rolling her eyes Rachel joined Karen and Kori in the restroom now. She leaned back against the door frame where Richard had previously stood and forced a grunt of boredom into the air. "Can you really not move any faster?"

Kori and Karen released a wave of giggles before pushing Rachel out of the bathroom so they could quickly change. Turning back to Richard, Rachel took a seat beside him on the bed. "I expect you to behave tonight."

"And what is that suppose to mean?"

"I wasn't joking when I told you that if you ever hurt Kori that I would kick your ass... because I will gladly be the first volunteer of your friends to do so."

Tossing his legs over the edge of the bed he situated himself beside Rachel with a drawn out sigh, her posture tensing at his casual demeanor. "Rae..." he paused looking to the bathroom as another giggle from Kori vibrated through the closed-door. Fighting through another smile that developed over him, he spoke in a whisper. "Look,... I realize you are very protective of Kori since you are all apart of this strange, tight circle of friends with secrets and bonds that go on forever but... I... I really like her."

"I don't care Dick. If you were more of a gentleman where women were concerned I might not have such an issue with you moving forward and progressing a relationship with Kori, but that's just it... you _aren't_ and I'm not okay with it."

"So I should just ignore what I'm feeling?" He said with much distaste, his voice breaching the limits of being considered a mere whisper.

Rachel rolled her violet eyes, her teeth grinding involuntarily. "I... yea. I mean, take a minute to understand my perspective, as well as everyone elses, including Kori..." she exhaled curtly. "You were with Babs for a long time and one girl shows up and you throw everything out the window in a horrible betray filled break up." She shook her head at him in disappointment. "What do you really expect me to say or how do you even want me to respond to learning that you have supposed '_feelings_' for my closest friend? I don't want her to get hurt like all the other women that symbolically have their names carved into your bedpost." She rubbed at her temple now; not wanting to hurt his feelings but the facts were the facts and there really was no way around the truth. "Kori is important to me and she's been through too much to become another name on your playboy checklist list."

"This... this is different, different then all the others, even Babs. I ..."

"I can tell you truly do care about her, Dick; I can but... whats to stop you from being yourself? I can believe that you have no intentions of actually hurting her purposely but..." she looked to him with sorrow and sympathy in her eyes. "... but you're you. You don't change for women, you're not one for commitment and you never will be; it's just not in your nature. I'm sorry but I can't be okay with this."

Before Richard could reply the bathroom door swung open, Karen and Kori exiting with elated smiles. He swallowed hard against the pain in his chest, forcing it down and allowing the unsustainable emotion that sparked in him now to arise and dominate any amount of anger he could have in this instant. Kori stood before him never more beautiful, in his opinion, then right now. Her hair was straitened giving a few inches more length, long black knee-length boots overlapped tight, hip hugging dark denim jeans, and a small cerulean tank top that reached down no further then her navel, stared back at him, sending a wave of chills through him, his craving for her soaking his very spine in merciless waves of toxicity. It was now that he had come to the realization that it didn't matter what anyone said, or how against everyone would be with his intentions... Kori would be his.

"We all ready?" Her melodic voice sounded in a more of a giggle than actual words.

"Yes we are," Rachel mumbled as she took Karen ahead of the small group and led her out into the living room.

It was now that Richard sought his last opportunity of the evening to speak with Kori in privacy. She had begun to make her way toward the door, her thick black jacket folded over her right arm when Richard called to her, fixing a hand around her wrist and bringing her toward him.

"Is something wrong?" She asked, her brows angled downward in concern.

He forced a hand through his hair, the words he wished to form falling short of comprehension in his own mind which was battling against the blank stare he had fixed on her hand in his now. "Uh... I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

Her head tilted to the side slightly. "What do you mean?"

"Its just, everyone sort of made the whole 'Gar' situation seem like it would be a catastrophe getting you two in the same room again."

His nerves seemed to melt away as a smile of understand and overall appreciation toward him beamed up at him, her hand which once rest within his moved around his back in a sweet embrace to which she lingered. "Thank you Richard." His eyes shut and he allowed the satisfying feeling of her body against his as she giggled against his chest now. Resting her head into the crook of his neck as he placed a hand against the back of her head, he pulled her in closer to him. "I really appreciate you're constant, unwavering concern for me but yes... everything is fine." When she pulled away from him, she left her hands at his shoulders, hers perking in excitement. "I actually wanted to thank you once more about this morning. You were very patient and more than sweet to me. Most men would have been a little grabby and taken advantage of me falling asleep in their arms but you... you were very gentleman like. I had a really great time with you today even though we hardly had time to ourselves." There was an awkward gleam in her eye now that Richard took as nothing more than something to be concerned about. It seemed as though she was forcing conversation with him, while her body was slightly responding hesitantly. The main thought crossing his mind was what Rachel and Karen, or perhaps even Gar had said about him while alone with Kori. She normally seemed more endearing and yet while she was technically acting that way now... that's all it seemed like; an act. "Now, let's have and awesome night." She fixed her hand into his and pulled him from the room with a bounce in her step. "I'm so excited."

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**


	9. Progress

**Chapter Nine: Progress**

"There better be a round of shots waiting for us!" Karen's loud voice carried on over the rambunctious crowd of the club around them as the four trudged toward the table where the guys waited for them.

"You know there is." Vic said with a smile, lifting a shot in hand and holding it out toward Karen, greeting her with a light peck on the cheek.

As everyone gathered around the small table, they each raised a shot to the air, Wally speaking now. "Alright... I would just like to take this time to draw attention to the fact that all of us haven't been in the same room let alone the same state for years and tonight..."

"We're gonna party like its college all over again!" Karen cheered.

Wally chuckled. "Yes well... " he paused looking to Kori. She scrunched her body slightly in an embarrassed cower as everyone followed Wally's suit and gazed at her now. "I'd like to dedicate this night to the one and only... Kori Anders to which this night would not be possible without. It's good to see you again you crazy bitch."

"Let's just hope she can keep her clothes on tonight," Rachel added with a brief smile to which Kori rolled her eyes in response.

"No making out with the bartender," Vic teased, Kori's blush suddenly deepening in shades of red; her mind praying this taunt would be over soon.

"Or passing out in public restrooms leaving your friends and family worried about where you disappeared to," Ryan added in a disappointed mumble, Kori avoiding everyone's gaze now.

Kori narrowed her eyes, anticipating the worst as Roy cleared his throat in an obvious act to assert himself. "To keeping the memories coming after a long pause of two years without being in the company of all of us wonderful people here and now." He chuckled. "Memories that are _hopefully_ not completely blacked out by the events of tonight when morning comes rolling around, hangover and all."

"To being together again... all of us, if only for the holidays." Gar said, adding a more endearing perspective and less direct attack of Kori.

Kori released a heavy sigh, her head shaking back at everyone with a giggle. "Well, I'm glad I decided to finally come back to Gotham. I'm glad I could be here again with all of you lovely people." She cleared her throat, moving her shot glass higher. "To old friends..." she paused nudging Richard in the side playfully. "... _and_ new."

"Cheers!" Wally shouted enthusiastically.

With a giggle from Kori and a ringing of cheers that followed, everyone crashed their shot glasses together mid-air in the center of the table then downed them with ease.

"Hell yea!" Came Karen's dominating voice as a new song began to echo off the walls. She looked to Rachel and Kori with excitement in her eyes. "Lets do this."

"What about me?" Vic asked.

Karen rolled her eyes, then placing a sweet kiss against the lips she gave him an unapologetic shrug. "We have all night. Right now it's time for the trifecta to take storm."

With this the three girls, aside from the grunt of annoyance that came from Rachel, moved to the dance floor their bodies swaying to the music excited for the night to begin.

"Well..." Ryan said, looking to the others that remained gathered around the table. "It seems like Kori is happy."

Vic rubbed at his large brown eyes. "Yea... she needs tonight to be good more than any of us. As the last night of the holiday weekend she deserves a night out with all of us." He narrowed his eyes over Roy. "... _without_ drama."

Roy lifted his hands out his sides defensively. "I'm not going to do anything."

"Good, because you've done enough."

"He's right," Gar confirmed Vic's sudden disappointment with Roy. "I heard what you did to Dick." He chuckled slightly at the sight of the darkened bruise beneath Richard's eye. "I spoke to Kori about it earlier... she's pissed with you so I would play it safe and avoid her tonight before you make things worse on yourself."

Roy sighed, sarcasm coating his words. "So you and Kori are all close again... great."

With this Richard found interest in the conversation. "What did she say?"

Gar hesitated, coming to realize this moment as the first real glimpse of Richard's interest in Kori; now it was only time to tell whether it was innocent interest or not. Clearing his throat he said, "Nothing, just that if she ever found out you two were fighting again she wouldn't speak to either of you."

This brought tense shoulders to both Roy and Richard who exchanged awkward glances before Richard spoke again. "She was really that upset?"

Gar nodded, leaning back in his chair, a feeling of satisfaction sparked by the vulnerability in which Richard's eager inquiring continued to deliver to him. "Yep. She said she hadn't the chance to speak to Roy personally..." he looked to Roy with a glare. "... about the situation yet but I'd guess she has a few heated words prepared."

With a sigh Roy dipped his head. "I can't believe this. How could she really be all that upset with me? Can't she understand _why_ I hit him?"

Gar laughed. "Oh don't misinterpret my words, she's not upset, she's _furious_. For some reason she's taken a liking to 'Richard' here, and while their friendship is still brand new you've managed to hurt him because of her. She blames herself and you..." he pointed aggressively at Roy. "... you are not in her good graces and I suggest you be careful with how you respond to what ever she has to say to you."

"Oh knock it off Dick," Roy said with a roll of his eyes as Richard chuckled to himself. "Kori was mine once and it's only a matter of time before it's that way again."

"I wouldn't be too sure. Apparently she's got her heart set on someone else."

As Gar said this, Richard found himself even more enthralled in the conversation. Running a hand over his mouth he straightened his posture then asked, "Who?"

Gar hesitated noticing everyone aside form himself and Richard becoming more aggravated by his words. They expected him to say Richard and while it was the truth he would rather avoid any further confrontation where Kori was concerned. Lifting his drink to his lips Gar shrugged carelessly. "I don't know."

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**

"Woohoo," Wally cheered, gripping an arm around Kori's waist and puling her into him as the girls finally returned after a long while spent dancing, all of them with scarce breath at their exhaustion. "Just the girl I was waiting for." She rolled her eyes as Wally took her hand into his. "Dance with me."

"Hold on I need a drink."

"Fine, but hurry I've been here an hour already waiting for you to help me out a little here."

"So your alternate wingman..." she passed a glance to Richard, the effects of alcohol running sharply in her mind, her behavior slightly more flirtatious. "... is he no longer capable of fulfilling his duties correctly?"

Richard exhaled curtly, more annoyed with the personal contact Wally continued to keep tight on Kori.

"_No_ he isn't. He's giving a bad name to us playboys actually. All he's done all night is stay slouched over his drink." Wally sigh with forced disappointment. "A waste of talent if you ask me."

"Alright... let's do this," Kori paused, taking two of the shots that remained on the small table, downing them quickly then allowing Wally to lead her to the dance floor.

"_What_ is your deal?" Rachel's normal drone of a voice amplified itself with a slur.

Richard looked to her with a shrug. "Nothing. I'm having a great time."

"This is your first night out on the town being single... and you're just sitting there."

"Ahh, leave him alone," Gar said, a 'thank you' glance being given to him by Richard. The two men both knowing his reason for such strange behavior.

"Shit," Rachel said with a sigh, her phone going off from her pocket. "It's the hospital. I'll be right back."

It was now that Gar focused his attention on Richard closely. He could tell that he had continued to keep a constant, disapproving gaze on Kori as she danced seductively against Wally. He scanned over the faces of the table now. Rachel was off in one of the corners on her phone, Ryan was flirting with a skinny brunette in the short distance, Roy had disappeared to the bar once more and Vic and Karen were in the middle of a heavy make out session so he took this opportunity to revisit a certain conversation that had previously been brushed aside. "So... 'Richard'..."

Richard paused, acknowledging Gar quickly then returning his gaze to Kori on the dance floor.

"So its strange how things work out, huh? You and Kori finally meeting after all these years." He laughed.

"Yea."

Finding Richard's anger and overall distraction of watching Kori in the arms of someone else, Gar broke into laughter. It was obvious enough that he was far too interested in Kori by the lack of conversation he allowed to pursue with the several woman that approached him throughout the night, having ignored their existence entirely before receding into heavily drinking.

"What's so funny?" Richard glared, he didn't need any other reason to be irritated then the fact that Kori, while innocently dancing to help Wally, was being far too affectionate for his taste, and it was because of this that he would gladly agree to join any argument if only to give himself a chance to release said anger.

The glare Richard had focused on him now only made Gar find more humor in this moment. Scratching at his brow, he said, "Nothing... nothing at all." He paused lifting his beer to his lips. "So,... do you know who this guy is that Kori's crushing on?"

"What?" Richard asked, his anger suddenly fading replaced by shock at the fact that Kori would have confided any amount of feelings to Gar who she was said to be at odds with. Clearing his throat he said, "What did she say? I mean I thought you said she didn't say anything about him?" The childlike, lopsided grin that stared back at Richard was enough to return his frustration; was he really not going to tell him?

"She didn't say much," Gar said, his gaze finding Kori in the crowd. "Just that she was hesitant."

Richard rolled his eyes, he already knew that, Kori had already made herself perfectly clear that she wasn't ready for a relationship, what he wanted was information he wasn't already aware of. Leaning forward in his chair feeling far to anxious, Richard lowered his voice. "What did she say? I mean, did she say who it was?"

Gar shrugged. "No, only that she really liked him and that there was just a few things holding her back."

"Like what?"

"I don't know..."

"Come on, either she told you or she didn't." Richard growled, his brows burrowing.

"Well, just that..."

"That was fun," Came Kori's giggle of a voice as she returned to the table beside Wally.

"That was quick," Gar said.

"For good reason. Here we go," Wally said, turning to acknowledge a blonde beauty that approached now. He fixed a hand around Kori and smiled, a smile that faded as the blonde turned to Richard.

"Dick Grayson... its been a while since you've been single." She smiled seductively, Richard rolling his eyes in reply, finding more interest in his drink now. The girl cleared her throat, leaning toward him with a finger tracing over his hand which remained within his lap. "How about a dance?"

Richard paused, looking passed the girl to Kori who had previously been awaiting his reply and was now nervously looking to Wally trying to spark conversation. With a sigh, he looked to the girl. "Sorry, I'm not interested."

"Come on... since when is a playboy not interested in..."

"I said I'm not." Richard said firmly, the girl flinching slightly at the sudden frustration in his voice.

As the girl turned to the others at the table Wally gave her a smile. "Can I get you a drink?"

The girl smiled, Wally instantly taking her hand pulling her back toward the bar, giving Richard a thumbs up. With this sudden silence, Kori turned to Gar, taking his beer and downing the last of it.

"I could have got you your own you know?" Gar laughed. "You might want to slow down, we all know how crazy you get when you drink."

Kori wiped at her mouth and inhaled deeply, placing a hand upon her waist. "Do not think for one moment that you know anything about me anymore." She giggled tossing her arms around Gar in a bone crushing hug. "Its been a long time Gar."

"Oh, so I can go ahead and assume you wont be dancing on any tables tonight?"

Kori rolled her eyes. "That was a long time ago Gar and it was one... okay, maybe two times."

"I'll get you a new drink." Gar paused. "Another round, Dick?"

As he nodded, Gar separated himself from the two, Richard's gaze finally meeting Kori's.

Kori cleared her throat, just the sight of him staring back at her screamed danger in her mind. She knew she should probably continue her attempt at avoiding him for the rest of the night but he looked to attractive to him, his eyes slightly bloodshot merely adding to the luminescent glow of their azure tint. "So, I would ask you to dance but Rachel has made it very clear you would not accept the offer."

Richard smirked, placing a hand on her waist and bringing her closer to him. "You look amazing tonight, you know that?"

Kori's brow arched. "And _you_, Mr. Grayson, are far more drunk than I initially assumed." She smiled allowing Richard to get a better grip around her waist, his eyes wandering over her now.

"I wont deny it."

Kori giggled as he lifted a hand to her cheek, feeling slightly more courageous than usual. Even as Kori became somewhat hesitant, he leaned forward, pulling her face toward his as his lips crept toward hers.

"Kori?"

The two separated, Kori turning to find Garth approaching her with a flirtatious gleam in his eye. Swallowing hard she averted her gaze from Richard. This could not end well. "Garth!" She answered back quickly, Richard suddenly becoming somewhat suspicious as Kori's behavior became distant and hesitant toward him.

"Hey Dick. I wasn't sure you'd be here tonight." Garth said with a charming smile to Kori. "I heard you were back to playing the field, finally dumped that Barb girl?"

Kori laughed. "I mistook her name for Barb once too but its Babs."

Garth gave a brief shrug then leaned his elbows against the table, migrating closer to her. "Right... well, I hope Karen spoke to you."

Unable to stop herself from sending an otherwise silent Richard a nervous glance she cleared her throat. "She did."

"And?" Garth smiled.

"I ... uh," Running a hand through her hair she brought her gaze down at her drink resting on the table; her mind struggling to find a reply with as little detail as possible. "I'm looking forward to it."

Listening to Garth as he spoke again Kori couldn't help but feel uneasy under the spotlight glare that formed across Richard's features. It was clear that he was slowly putting the pieces together where she and Garth were concerned but there was no stopping it. She knew Garth certainly didn't deserve a cold shoulder merely because she had feelings for Richard not him, which only made this situation even harder to be apart of.

"I just can't believe you're actually single." Garth continued with a laugh. "You were the most sought after girl in college but irrefutably untouchable because of Roy Harper and look at you now..." he shook his head, Richard's patience for this conversation thinning as he observed Garth's eyes trailing up and down Kori's figure. "... you're single, hotter than ever and for one evening... I get your undivided attention."

"What is he talking about?" Richard asked with bit back rage.

Kori released a nervous giggle, placing a hand on Garth's shoulder. "Nothing...umm, Garth dance with me?"

"I got drinks." Gar said, returning to the table passing Kori as Garth as they stepped around him. "Oh... she found another dance partner?" His laughter died out as the scowl on Richard became realized. Sinking down into his seat Gar sighed. "I guess you heard about the date, huh?"

"What date?" Richard seethed. "Garth and Kori?"

"I thought you knew." Gar replied, a hand running down the length of his face.

"Why would she..." a growl of frustration surfaced. "When is this date?"

"I don't..."

"Cut the shit Gar." He demanded, a fist clenched at his side beneath the table, his jealousy burning a fiercer green within his veins.

Gar hesitated, studying Richards expression and the extent of anger that developed over him. With a drawn out sigh he scratched at his brow, well aware Kori would not be pleased with what he was about to say. "In a few days but..."

"When?"

"Thursday."

Richard hesitated,receding into his mind, entertaining an insane amount of thoughts on the subject before standing. He had previously managed to convince himself that his feelings for Kori were one-sided but apparently she needed more persuasion. Was he upset with her? He hadn't decided, but what ever this feeling was that consumed him... he didn't like it. He downed another shot before he took to the dance floor, finding the sight of Garth's confident hands exploring Kori's waist never more infuriating. He wasn't sure what he'd say or do but he wanted to bring an end to what ever was going on between Kori and Garth, no matter the cost.

"Richard!" Kori squealed in surprise as he took her hand. "You startled me."

"Gar's back with the drinks. I think we're going to finish one last round before heading home."

"Oh, uh..." She paused passing a glance to Garth who stared back at Richard annoyed. "I guess..."

"She can stay here with me if she wants. I can give her a ride home later." Garth said, noticing and otherwise being irritated at the sight of Richard and Kori's hands intertwined; Kori having no objection to the matter.

"I doubt she's interested," Richard quipped, slowly bringing Kori toward him.

Garth chuckled. "I think she can answer for herself."

Kori's eyes widened, both guys looking to her in anticipation of her response. "I... I think we should get back to Gar and finish our drinks."

Richard returned to his seat on the tall bar stool before the table, his eyes never leaving Garth in a glare. In his head, he was waiting. Waiting for a reason to lunge at him, almost wanting him to step out of line, all it would take would be for Garth to set a gaze on Kori with a look he wasn't okay with and he would make his interest in Kori known, officially announcing to Garth, without words, that she was off-limits. He had decided there was no way Kori would want to go on that date come Thursday and he would do everything possible to ensure this.

Kori inhaled deeply as Garth placed a hand against her arm, tracing a finger down her skin gently. It was only as she felt Richard suddenly place a hand upon her waist again and pull her closer to him, leaving his arm around her possessively that she practically jumped out of her own skin. It was one thing to be jealous and discuss his disapproval of what ever was going on between her and Garth and entirely another to act so protective of her. In a way, she felt somewhat pleased with this gesture, she would be lying to herself if she didn't find Richard's jealousy somewhat sweet. Looking back at him she watched as his unflinching gaze stabbed back at Garth's very existence.

"So... you gonna stay with me or..." Garth began, his voice trailing off.

At his words Kori acknowledged Richard's hold on her tightening, his expression darken in Garth's direction with a heavy sigh. "I..." She paused as Richard looked to her now, his eyes anxious for her reply to be in his favor. "Sorry Garth. I'll see you later this week."

"Come on..." he pleaded in disappointment.

"It's just..." She hesitated at the sensation of Richard tensing now. To calm him, and even herself, she lowered herself back onto his lap, giving a sweet giggle. "Me and my friends are in the middle of this traditional holiday weekend thing... so..."

"I understand." He finished his beer then gave her one last smile before leaving. "I'll call you."

As Garth's figure faded into the distant crowd Kori shut her eyes. The stress she felt consumed in completely faded as Richard laced both arms around her now in a warm embrace, the presence of his lips against her cheek in a small peck followed by his suave voice as it whispered into her ear. "That's my girl."

As he said this Kori's heart jumped within her chest. With a small smile she turned her head toward him. "You have _definitely_ had far too much to drink."

Bringing both of her legs to one side of his lap, he smiled and his hands moved up and down her sides, his eyes coated with desire now. "I hardly think so." He fell silent as she giggled and allowed himself to absorb the effect her large beautiful eyes rolling at him in amusement had over him. He didn't even question how drawn he felt to her now, logic once again falling short of acknowledgement. He swallowed hard as her skin shuttered beneath his touch, his thumb caressing her cheek now. "I told myself I wouldn't kiss you again without your permission... but it's proving to be a bit of a struggle for me right now."

Kori's breath hitched. There was nothing she wanted more than to feel his soft lips against hers once more but the specific crowd surrounding them made her resist him; no mater how difficult it was. Which became even more difficult as he leaned toward her, his lips brushing ever so softly across hers in a held back purse.

"Kor," Gar said quickly, trying to draw her attention before Rachel returned.

"We should go," Kori said standing.

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**

It was long after everyone had returned to the Manor and gone to bed that Kori had returned to her room unintentionally leaving the door ajar as she entered. She squealed as Silkie, who had been waiting for her all day to return within her room, suddenly raced out and down the hallway. She peaked her head into the hallway calling out to the small animal but he continued to prance through the corridor. Bringing her voice to a whisper, Kori tiptoed down the hallway trying to keep up with the kitten while her mind was feeling slightly dazed from the alcohol.

The kitten turned a long corner, Kori giving all her strength to follow him without being so loud as to wake everyone. She was becoming fairly nervous when Silkie pounced into the light of one of the rooms at the end of the hallway. The door was open and a light on but it was empty. Kori peeked into the room announcing herself and praying it was not someones room in which she was not supposed to be in.

Finding no one she spotted Silkie disappear beneath the bed. Bringing her voice to a more rushed whisper she carefully knelt beside the bed, tucking her head beneath the veil of blankets that flung over the side. Spotting the kitten curled in a small ball and playing with a small string that hung from the center of the wooden frame Kori called out to him.

"_Please_ Silkie, we are not supposed to be in here." She reached her hand out to him but was barely without reach of him. "Silkie please... come _here_ my darling. I promised Richard I would not allow you to misbehave and this..."

"Kori?"

Kori jumped slightly, her head hitting the bed frame. She slowly removed herself from beneath the bed and turned to find Richard standing with a glass of water, his eyes narrowed.

"Richard..." she breathed nervously.

"What are you doing?" He laughed, the mere sight of her previously with her head tucked beneath his bed, and her small frame angled was enough to excite him.

Her frantic gaze continued to avoid his, her fingers fidgeting within her lap as she sat now beside the edge of the bed. "I... well,..." she released a heavy sigh, her head dipping. "I am sorry I just... Silkie ran in here and I was trying to ..."

As he chuckled she fell silent her head tilted to the side as he made his way toward her. "Is he under the bed?" As Kori nodded, Richard knelt beside her and lifting the covers, searched beneath the bed for the kitten. As he spotted him, he reached a hand out to the him. "Silkie..." he called playfully, a few small clicks sounding from his mouth as he tried to coax the cat out.

Kori's eyes widened as Silkie immediately responded by running toward Richard. Lifting the cat into his arms, he stood, extending his free hand down to Kori and helped her to her feet.

"I am sorry Richard. I ..."

"It's alright, don't worry about it." He smiled and sat back upon the bed against the headboard, Silkie still in hand and leaving Kori to become rather nervous beside him; unsure of what to really do with herself. Noticing her discomfort Richard looked to her then patted to the empty space beside him. "Sit." Kori glanced around the room as if there was someone watching and judging her but her mind fell silent as Richard pulled at her hand until she remained on the bed beside him. "Not tired?"

"Huh?" Kori said, someone transfixed in the adorable sight before her. Richard playing with Silkie and the innocent Kitten trying to claw at his gentle attacks.

Richard paused, looking to Kori. "Are you having trouble sleeping?"

"Oh... I guess."

"Is this about Gar?"

With this Kori exhaled slowly, slouching back into the bed, Richard otherwise satisfied that she was at the very least becoming more comfortable with him. "I don't think so." She extended a hand to Silkie, running a finger down the length of his small nose, a giggle escaping her as the kitten suddenly shut his eyes, snuggling its head closer to Richard's chest. "I think he likes you."

Richard smiled. "I am pretty great."

Kori rolled her eyes. "Is this the arrogant Dick Grayson I am finally meeting?"

Richard sighed. "Come on, I was only joking." He paused as Kori leaned her head back against the pillows beside them. "You know you can talk to me about Gar right?"

Kori's eyes met his and the urge to vent to him became too strong to hold back. Leaning forward into a more upright seated position she crossed her legs, turning her body toward him. "Alright,... here's the deal." She lowered her gaze to her hands which were moving rapidly in front of her as she began to dive into her explanation. "Gar is... amazing. He's a great friend and I really am happy to see him. I really am, but... there are certain aspects of his and my relationship that..."

"Relationship?"

Kori paused, looking to Richard. "Oh... no, I meant friendship. Sorry, " she giggled. "No, he and I used to be really close but, then certain things happened, you know, my parents being gone and... and I don't know he and I... I mean,... the last time I even spoke to him was a very ... very, dark day and I suppose that's why I'm a little nervous. I guess I'm afraid he'll be just like everyone else and judge every small thing I do. So far he isn't but... it's too soon to really tell."

"Who cares what he thinks of you Kori. There are plenty of people who love you just the way you are."

Kori blushed slightly, then returning her attention to Silkie, she leaned forward, Richard getting chills as he felt her breath rush over him and never more excited to be in Silkie's possession. Kori's body leaned over his slightly, one hand resting on the bed just beside his leg, and the other ruffling the now slumbering kitten's fur. With a heavy sigh she said, "He really does like you."

Richard smiled. "I guess I should thank him then."

Kori looked to him confused. "What for?"

He stared back at her with a smirk. "I wanted to see you tonight and because of this little guy..." he ran a hand along Silkie's back, a loud purr sounding. "... I get to."

"Are you sure I'm not bothering you? I mean, I really had no idea this was your room or... I just... I mean I can understand if I'm intruding."

"No... calm down." Richard laughed. "I was just going to watch a movie because I can't sleep." He smiled. "Wanna join me?"

Kori's eyes narrowed. "You're being very flir..."

"Friendly?"

Kori hesitated, then situating herself beside him once again, she sighed. "Something like that." She paused, a little confused that Silkie was able to remain comfortable with Richard when normally he was so careless and dismissive to others.

Noticing her staring at Silkie awkwardly, Richard smiled. "Are you jealous he might like me better?"

Kori rolled her eyes. "No way, he will always love me more."

Richard smiled. "I'm only kidding Kor." Pausing he lifted Silkie into his hands once more and gently placed him on Kori's lap. As Kori began to pet the small animal Silkie suddenly awoke looking to Richard with an adorable meow. Richard laughed. "I think that answers the question right there."

Kori gave a sad pout as Silkie rushed away from her and returned to the spot against Richard's chest. "I guess so."

Without even thinking Richard fell consumed by her sweet innocence and leaned forward, giving a kiss to her cheek, then pulled her toward him with an arm around her. "It's alright, we can share custody rights."

Kori rolled her eyes, elbowing him in the side now. "Very funny. What movie are we watching?"

They sat for a long while, the movie being a comedy, by Richard's choice, and for a good reason. All he wanted was to hear her giggle, and throughout the entire movie she did, unable to suppress even the smallest amount of laughter. Within the middle of the movie there was even a progressive change in the body language. Kori was initially slightly hesitant, but as the movie continued, her laughter causing her to hug at her knees, until she allowed them to rest at and angle against Richard's lap. She began to pull them away as she realized what she was doing but before she could Richard wrapped an arm around them, running his hand up and down her bare skin now. It wasn't until Silkie suddenly started meowing, that Kori looked to Richard.

"What?"

"He needs to go out."

"Oh..." Richard said, standing. He handed Kori the kitten then took her hand leading her down the hallway of the Manor. Reaching the back door he paused. "What are you doing? It's freezing outside."

"I don't even know how to find my room in this maze of hallways and that's where my sweater is. Its fine I'll be quick."

Rolling his eyes, he draped his thick coat over her and led her outside. She released Silkie to the ground watching him closely as he took off into the distance. Shivering she looked to Richard. "You have to be freezing. I'm shaking and I'm wearing your jacket."

Stepping to her, he wrapped his arms around her, rubbing his hands at her back to keep her warm. "Better?" There was an awkward silence that hung over them, both looking out to the night sky before Richard spoke once more. He wanted to enjoy the closeness between them in this moment but there was still one very important issue stabbing at the back of his mind. "So, I heard you have a date with Garth later this week."

Kori's eyes widened. A part of her knew this wouldn't have stayed a secret for long but she was in no way prepared to have this discussion right now, her mind still swirling from the alcohol. The disappointment on his face only making this moment worse for her. "It's not what you think."

He licked at his lips, his gaze persistent in piercing hers, hopefully giving off the extent of how upset he was over this. "I still don't like it."

The satisfaction she felt from his words, the sheer desire he had for her lingered over her thoughts and it was more than she could bear. Her gaze receded to the ground, her feet never more exciting to her. "I know. I don't either."

"Then why agree to it?" he asked, utterly confused by her response, not actually expecting her to answer back in his favor. Kori swallowed down her nerves as she caught him shake his head in the corner of her eye, his voice sounding never more hurt. "You obviously neglected to tell me about this because you knew it would bother me." He moved ever closer to her, forcing her gaze to meet his. "And it does."

At the intense clash of her emeralds meeting his sapphires, she immediately felt the urge to break down. The amount of hurt and betrayal that stung back at her from his features caused her to physically flinch; never feeling more vulnerable before him; never wanting more than to comfort him. "I'm doing this to get Rachel and Karen off my case about you." She smiled sympathetically, placing a hand gently against his cheek. "That's all."

Richard hesitated. Whether it was an innocent date or not, he didn't approve of it and no amount of excuses would convince him otherwise. "I still don't like it." He leaned his body closer to hers, his hands inviting themselves upon her hips. His eyes focused on hers one last time before he inched closer to her, his lips bestowing a soft kiss to the sensitive skin on her neck, her body responding hesitantly. Placing one hand at the back of her neck he kissed at her skin once more, welcoming her small whimper of satisfaction with a small smile. "I know its selfish ..." his lips inched higher, slowly making their way to her cheek before he paused, his eyes dominating over hers once more. "... but I just want you to myself."

Kori's eyes shut, whether it was an action induced by the alcohol or not, she was buying into his charm. "I know." She said breathlessly.

"So..." he said in a seductive rasp of a tone, kissing at the corner of her mouth now, his eyes still focused in a type of trance against hers. "... what would you have me do in this situation?"

Hesitation was something she was easily growing tired of in similar instances such as this one. Her entire body was craving his touch so why she continued to resist him only frustrated her in this moment. She just stared up at him, him staring back at her as if begging her to give him the okay to progress his kiss. It was as he glanced down at her mouth, a small smirk forming that she opened her mouth to speak. It was obvious, she knew, that he could feel her barriers slowly crumbling against his expectant silence, the only other thought on her mind was this... if this was in fact a game to him, who was she to ignore such a perfectly strategic play? She found that she was undeniably drawn to him with the strength of an intensity she was actually willing to risk being hurt over just to satisfy her craving for him. She was his in this moment, she knew it and apart of her was certain he did as well.

Swallowing hard she raised her slightly shaky hands to the back of his neck, her eyes fluttering to his lips now admiring that heart stopping smirk that stared back at her. She was struggling with an internal battle now. Go for it and just kiss him?... or not? Yes or no? Cause drama or ignore it? Dissolve the barrier of hesitation between them or not?

Her breath hitched in her throat as she frantically glanced back and forth between his eyes then to his lips, her face slowly gravitating toward him. What made this situation only more difficult was the fact that he merely studied her expression, her hesitance, her body slowly caving in to desire. She paused once more, biting at her bottom lip in a moment more of thought before she raised herself onto her tiptoes, her eyes giving way as she connected her lips to his. Now, while it had taken much thought, on her part, as well as hesitation, there was in no way, not even in a fragment of a second that he hesitated to respond to her kiss, deepening it instantly.

Her brows burrowed at his touch, his body backing her into the wooden railing behind her, their breathing becoming heavy against the whims of passion being exerted back and forth from one another as he cupped her cheek deepening the kiss ever more. She couldn't suppress the small whimper she breathed into his mouth as his tongue found hers, a meeting of euphoric proportions which only amplified as his body dipped slightly, his strong arms lifting her from the ground with ease and gently placing her atop the wooden railing that stretched along the back porch, her presence slightly angled higher than him now. He smiled against her lips as she locked her ankles around the back of him, drawing him closer to her, their kiss managing to remain somewhat gentle yet heated with passion; pent-up emotions being traded for desired, more intimate, acknowledgement.

The spark, or whatever you would prefer to call it, it doesn't matter, but what did ignite between them was far too vibrant to ignore any longer. The moment her lips collided with his, Richard was instantly in control; she was now his pawn to play as he wished. The realization brought a giggled from her, vibrating sweetly against his lips as he brought his arms tighter around her.

Suddenly, Kori tightened her grip on Richard's shoulders as she felt herself slipping back off the balcony railing, and only giggled as Richard's' arms returned her to him, speaking to her between purses. "I wouldn't let you fall."

It would only be Silkie's loud meow of a return that would bring their interactions to a halt. Kori looked to the kitten that clawed at Richard's leg, he reached down and lift the kitten into his hands. Accepting the kitten, Kori smiled up at Richard, accepting another prolonged kiss from him as he lifted her from the railing and lowered her to her feet once more. Kori was more thrilled as Richard took her hand clasping it tightly as he led her back into the Manor.

There was no way to know what would happen with them now; Kori unsure what he would do with the sudden change in their 'relationship', and while she was unsure of what to expect Richard was never more satisfied; the idea of what was truly blossoming between them had been heightened, confirmed, in one kiss, a kiss he would not apologize for; a kiss he was sure meant that she was now his.

"You hungry?" He asked, stopping in the kitchen, a permanent blush overwhelming each of them at this point; both still suffering from the magnitude of emotion that had yet to die down between them.

He laughed as Kori's eyes went wide, her free hand over her stomach now. "Starving."

With a laugh they returned to his room, sitting on the bed each with a plate of a slice of pizza at hand as they resumed the movie. Taking a bite of pizza, Kori giggled. "This movie is the best."

"I can't believe you've never seen it, it's a classic."

Kori wiped at her mouth, laughing at another scene as it played out on the flat screen. "I don't know. I've been a little behind in the movie world."

Handing her a water bottle, he watched as she drank. "I'm really glad you stumbled into my room tonight."

Kori smiled, handing the bottle back, with a satisfied smile as he drank from it. "Me too. Although, you should really thank Silkie. I had no idea this was even your room. I am having fun though."

"No regrets this time around?"

As Kori lowered her plate to her lap, leaning back upon the headboard with a sigh, Richard smiled. She was well aware he was referring to their moment on the back porch and even as she had more of clear head in this moment to think it over she didn't regret it. "No... " she leaned toward him, assuring his questionable demeanor with another kiss. "...not at all."

"Then stay with me tonight."

Kori cocked a brow. "I don't know if that such a good idea. Come morning everyone will be..."

Discarding the empty plates between them now Richard kissed her once more, a hand at her waist as she pulled her body toward his, his hovering over hers now. "Stay."

Kori hesitated, watching closely as his eyes wandered over her, his hand wandering at her side now. "Richard... if you think I'm going to just..."

"Stop right there." He said, the seriousness on his face far too stern for her to question. His eyes locked onto hers. "Kori... I told you I wanted an actual relationship with you so... don't think for one second that I would rush into things." He sighed, running the back of his hand across her cheek, a more playful gleam taking over his gaze. "I give you my word I will remain strong to resist any and all attempt you make to seduce me into sleeping with you." Kori rolled her eyes, shoving at his shoulder. "I'm well aware of my reputation but I refuse to be someone you use just for sex."

"Alright..." Kori giggled. She placed her arms around his neck and pulled him in for another kiss. "I'll stay."

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**


	10. A Moment To Bond

**Chapter Ten: A Moment To Bond**

Richard gave off a tiresome sigh, his mind not entirely alert as morning rolled around the next day. He remained tucked tightly within the thick comforter of his bed; the events of last night, falling asleep with Kori in his arms brought nothing short of a peaceful slumber. It was a muffled shuffling of sorts, that's all it took to give his mind the small shake it needed to become wise to the approaching morning. The warmth missing beside him on the bed which once signified Kori's presence brought an undesired amount of disappointment over him; jolting him awake. As his mind began to weave normal thought, laying on his side he glanced over his shoulder, noticing a light behind the bathroom door along with the sound of a running water reaching his ears.

Rubbing at his tired eyes he welcomed the presence of Silkie as he curled his body up against his feet at the edge of the bed. Giving off a heavy sigh he looked down at Silkie's dark innocent eyes. "What is she doing in there, huh buddy?"

There was no way to tell what he could expect from Kori when he saw her once more. Would she regret anything now that she was no longer drenched in liquid courage? Would she chalk everything up until this point as mere drunken fun? Regardless of what he would be faced with when Kori did return to him a part of him half expected some amount of hesitancy from her; which was something he was not looking forward to and was otherwise hoping he would be able to break through once more without too much of a fight.

There was a small pause of silence when he heard the running water come to a stop. Tossing an arm around the back of his head and propping his head back against the headboard Richard took a deep inhale, the nervousness that engulfed him as he anticipated seeing his beauty again was far more intense than he would even admit to himself as of now but his sweaty palms only confirmed this fact. Footsteps... they approached the bathroom door slowly, far too slow to ease the anxiety that rushed his veins. As the bathroom door finally swung open, revealing that innocent face of Kori and her slim figure that froze at the sight of seeing him awake now, Richard stared back at her with a smile; just knowing she was his made her seem even more radiant in this moment. Kori paused as she noticed he was awake, her mind drowning in an equal amount of anxiety.

"Good morning gorgeous." His charming uneven, morning voice called out to her, sending a wave of chills down her spine.

"Good morning Richard." She replied sweetly, a sheepish smile playing at her lips.

As instant silence developed over them, she bit at her lip in hesitation, unsure of how forward their relations would be now. Does he expect her to be lovey dovey with him openly, or result into casual, more disciplined displays of affection? Either way she was fairly certain her morning had been spent with far too much over analyzation of what to expect once Richard was finally awake. And now... now here they were at a halt; both staring back at one another with uncertain expectations of what or how to react. It was an adorable thing to witness, both eagerly awaiting some sign of affection to kick-start the sequence of comfortablility they both yearned for with one another.

As of now Kori's thoughts had taken a pause, that heart-melting smile of his contorting the air in the room into a somewhat warmer, more comforting environment. What ever amount of hesitance she once felt, it was suddenly just gone, nonexistent the moment her eyes met his. She couldn't' explain it and didn't really care to try to understand it, but what she was certain of, what she knew, was that everything could be in shambles and yet, a moment like this, silence or no silence, smiles or not, when she looked to him and he stared back at her just the way he was right now, she instantly felt safe; as if nothing in the world could ever be so horrid, and it was because he was smiling back at her, his gaze whether intentionally or not was forcing her into submissive happiness; happiness she was never more content with, undeniably drawn to in fact.

"You okay?" He asked, noticing the confused somewhat distant look on her face which suddenly arose concern in him.

This wasn't really happening was it? Kori's mind was racing and no matter how long her mouth remained open trying to form words nothing seemed to reach her voice, or lack there of. He looked amazing, his toned chest on display for her and her alone. Damn her wandering thoughts, but oh, how she loved him in the morning. If his toned, bare chest staring back at her wasn't enough to make her breath become uneven and scarce, it was the childlike innocence in his eyes that always seemed to have this pattern of making her insides weaken and spiral in conflicting emotions. She could feel an intense heat rise in her cheeks as she tried to look away but her mind did not allow her the courtesy of free will in the moment.

"Kor... you okay?" He asked again, his dark brows burrowing.

Kori blinked, finally able to catch up with the insane speed of her passing thoughts and she cleared her throat. "Yea... I... " She lifted a hand to her forehead brushing a curl from her face, her gaze frantically searching the room for a less addictive sight to narrow in on until she could return her composure. "You... umm, you..." An awkward giggle amplified her blush as she took a single step toward him now. "So... do you..."

He suddenly paused, uncomfortable against an all to familiar gleam in her eyes. "You're not going to be hesitant with me all over again now are you?" He asked, the amount of disappointment coated with a sprinkle of humor in his voice was enough to snap her back to reality.

Kori fell silent in thought once more, thoughts so fleeting and easily too far from comprehensive acknowledgement in her state of consumed nerves as that expression of uncertainty settled before her on his features. This was the moment of truth,... did she really regret the night before, or didn't she? The smile that stretched across her face was an involuntary one; one that signified nothing more then ... yes it was happiness yet again; happiness she was anything but used to; ergo her ever-changing strength in confidence when around him.

She stared down at his pleading expression and instantly gave in. As it were, who would be able to resist those pale eyes of his, always in control, never to be underestimated? "No."

That never more attractive brow of his arched and he tilted his head slightly, a more playful and less concerned tone invading his composure. "No?"

The two mirrored smiles before Kori released an all too enthusiastic giggle to disrupt the expectant silence. Richard found himself laughing as well as her small framed body moved toward him in an adorable strut. She bounced down on the bed beside him, leaning her body over his, his welcoming arms reaching out to her. Straddling his waist now, she laced her arms around him allowing him to pull her closer until she resided more comfortably within his lap. As that overwhelming wave of satisfaction settled over him, he smiled up at Kori, her lips making no pause before they were thrust against his.

"No," She repeated contently, the warmth of his strong arms around her never being more appreciated.

As her head positioned itself ever so slightly to the side nestling against the crook of his left shoulder Richard's mind came to a tranquil pause; the mere presence of her within his possession, their arms cradling one another might have been the simplest form of affection and yet in this moment there was nothing more that could compare to the satisfied feeling that consumed him. Actually, satisfied may not even encompass the magnitude of emotion derived from this moment; he was... happy, and not happy in a casual sense but rather a more infinite of sorts; or at least it felt that way.

His eyes clasped shut as Kori shifted above him, her soft lips asserting themselves gently upon his neck as she spoke between small pecks against his flesh. The innocence of her tone coupled with that ever so slight presence of conflicting seductiveness in her voice sounded never more erotic to him. "Do you work today?"

"I do..." he paused, his breath hitching as she nibbled at his neck now, his hands encouraging her as they wandered at her sides. "... but, ... uh, its later in the ummm..." Another intoxicating bite, her tongue inching its way higher now in a tantalizing display of affection. "... later in the day."

"Is that so?" She replied with a soft giggle which vibrated against his neck. He opened his eyes to find her staring down at him now with a suggestive smile. Those large emerald eyes taking in his pleasure ignited expression. She licked at her lips, lowering them to his but before they could connect she pulled back, enjoying the frustrated grunt that escaped him as he leaned toward her, begging for her to continue. "Does that mean I have you all to myself this morning?"

A nod; a submissive, obedient nod was all that could be relayed at his point. Sure, he was never more pleased that she was being affectionate with him but he in no way expected her to be so... this, and was otherwise thrown off by her forwardness. Not that he wasn't enjoying himself, only that it was unexpected; a unexpected surprise if anything, one he was looking forward to witnessing the progression of and hoping he could contain his hunger for her and remain in the deserved amount of discipline she deserved from him.

She knew what she was doing to him and she was enjoying every second of it. After all, this was in fact revenge for all the times he had made her feel without the ability to remain in control of a situation. She smiled, noticing him swallow hard, his speechless response never more attractive to her. His eager gaze, wandering hands, anticipating lips,... they were all hers to control in this moment, whether she allowed them to be satisfied or not.

"Good." She said breathlessly, her lips creeping in an agonizingly slow approach to his.

Narrowing his eyes over hers, his mind finally surfacing from the intoxicating emotion she had sent through him, clouding his thoughts and blinding his ability to think clearly he finally realized the game she was playing and decided to flip the roles now... literally. Gripping at her hips tighter, he moved her to the side, just enough for him to gain a small amount of leverage to position himself over her now. The giggle that sounded as he hovered over her was enough to set fire to his urges and left only a small instant of intense eye contact before he plunged in for the kiss he had been waiting for.

This was the part he loved, craved; their tongues cascading against one another, hesitation cast aside, consequences no longer an issue, and more importantly nerves, judgement, fear of crossing over that imaginary line of 'something more' ... all a thing of the past. The heat of the moment was one neither would question, only striving to find more ways to adore each other in this moment, a moment of competition to find victor in the dominance of exploration within one another's mouths; a competition Richard was convinced he would always win. It was as her back arched slightly, her hips thrusting into his body that would earn the previously suppressed amount of pleasure Richard was keeping at bay to let loose. A small grunt of passion was exerted from his distracted lips, his mind surging with heightened emotions now. Dipping his head slightly to resume his purse against her neck, he countered her gesture with a shift of his waist against hers; the sensation even more empowered at the presence of his right hand which held her waist in place as she received the intense wave of his body against hers. Their breath was heavy, strained in a demanding contrast to the thick air that hung over them; their movements becoming slightly more aggressive before it would all come to an abrupt halt.

A loud bang of a knock echoed off the bedroom door, Rachel's monotone voice calling out to Richard, breaking that bubble of frozen time they previously existed in. "I'm headed to the hospital. Don't forget about our plans for lunch." She paused as if to walk away then her voice sounded once more. "And try to be awake when when everyone starts to leave. Friends or not you need to be present."

"I will." Richard replied quickly, his lips returning to Kori's, continuing his adoration of her without rush. There was a long recession into the tingling emotions that sparked with their touch but it soon fell numb as Richard pulled away. He stared down at her for a long while, entranced by her smile. "You wanna get out of here?"

Kori paused, passing a glance at the window which brought no amount of sunlight through the curtains only confirming how early it must have been in the morning. "It's so early. Where would we go?"

"Does it matter?" He chuckled as her expression retired into deep thought. "Look, everyone is still asleep, Rachel's gone, and I don't have to be at work until later in the day so..." he ran a hand through her hair. "I just want to take advantage of the fact that I have you all to myself at the moment."

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**

"Your coffee," Richard said with a smile, handing her a sleeved coffee cup and stepping away from the Cafe counter. It was an awkward realization that set over him now; just being in her presence, in public no less, with no amount of hesitation from either end. It was moments like these he had decided were his most treasured and it would be his main goal to increase the amount of time they spent like this; no amount of concerns of any of their friends barging in on their fun, but rather, peaceful bonding at its best.

Kori smiled accepting the cup as she stood. A small giggle escaped her as Richard laced an arm around her waist, leading her out of the café and into the brisk morning, the sun barely beginning to peak over the distant horizon. "Thank you Richard." She inhaled the crisp cool air as they walked down the sidewalk of the street toward the center of town, the confidence and comfortablility he exuded in this situation made her feel more sure of herself, of them. "Where to now?"

Richard shrugged, taking a small sip of his drink as his gaze focused on the street beside them. "I don't know." He paused as a shiver shuttered through Kori. "Are you cold? We could go back inside or..."

"I'm fine." She said, snuggling her body closer to his as they continued down the path. Honestly she was freezing against the harsh weather but she was enjoying this time with Richard just as much as he was. "I enjoy walking."

"You know, there's a park a short way from here if you want to ..."

"Yes, that sounds great." She replied with much excitement. She had a thing for parks, the scenery was always beautiful to her, and the winter wonderland that blanketed their surroundings was no exception. "I haven't been to Gotham in a long time so everything sort of feels brand new."

When they arrived at the park, the two slowed their pace to a comfortable walk, conversation sparking once more.

"So... what time do you need to be back? ... for work?"

Richard shrugged, work was the last thing on his mind. "Don't worry about it. I have time."

Kori shook her head finding humor in the fact that he was always trying to avoid answering even the simplest most irrelevant of questions. "That isn't what I asked."

His reply was a mere grunt of sorts before he changed the subject all together. He paused, his mind narrowing in on one very important detail Kori had brought to his attention on more than one occasion... he really didn't know that much about her, who she was and this was something he was never more interested in. "So... the gallery... you're excited to start work there?"

"Yes, of course I am." She answered back with much excitement.

"And... and Bruce has made sure everything would be a smooth transition for you when you begin work there?"

"Yep, he was very kind."

Richard smiled. "Right, that's good to hear." He cleared his throat, passing a quick glance around their surroundings before he continued. "So are you in the middle of a painting right now?"

Kori hesitated, his questions continuing without much pause. The deeply focused expression on his face made her smile; he was acting as though these questions were of high importance and this was definitely something she had never expected from him but she answered regardless. "Actually, I have a deadline coming up and I haven't even started on a new piece."

"Why is that?"

"Because... " Great, another subject she was hoping to avoid. "... well, since Komi I haven't really been able to..." She shook her head, sipping at her coffee now and begging for a distraction. "It's just been hard."

His brows furrowed lower. He wanted to understand why she was so guarded, sure she had plenty of reasons to be but what was the main reason she refused to completely open up to him? How could he help if she kept avoiding his determined attempts at prying answers from her?

"So... you haven't painted anything since her passing?"

Kori swallowed hard against his intense gaze that narrowed down at her. "No... I haven't."

He nodded, brows in a permanent burrow now, his mind racing. "I wish... I wish there was something I could do to help you through this. I just..."

"Richard, calm down." She begged. She hated seeing him so disturbed by her problems which only made them even harder to express. Taking his hand she quickly led him to a small bench at the center of the park to which they were approaching and brought him to sit beside her. "You've done more than enough for me. To honest I haven't even attempted painting because I'm... " she smiled with a blush at her cheeks and her eyes cast down upon her drink within her shaken hands. "... a little distracted."

There was a prolonged gaze between them before Richard took the chance to change the subject to a more cheerful perspective. As much as he wanted to help Kori with Komi... it was far too clear she was still not ready and he was okay with that; for now.

Clearing his throat he leaned back into the bench. "So... this will be your first Christmas in Gotham in two years?"

"Yes, well, technically three but I was away for a little over two years."

He nodded lightly. "Right, California... where did you live exactly?"

"Jump City."

"I've been there a few times. Not in a while though... nice place." He drank a small amount of coffee, plummeting further into his mind; thoroughly lost in his own thought and unquenchable thirst to learn more about her. "So what would you be doing if you were still in Jump?"

She sighed, the mere drawing of attention to any part of her past was always met with an overwhelming sensation in her chest, that all too familiar tenseness coursing through her returning like a sharp memory burned in the front of her mind. "Well... tomorrow's Christmas eve so I'd probably be cuddled up in a blanket on the balcony of my apartment watching the sun rise." She smiled to herself, trying to tiptoe around as much detail as possible. "A cup of coffee at hand and my mind wandering back to all the Christmas' I've missed here in Gotham. Of course, you know me, I'd have that guilty feeling for leaving and would probably be pondering what everyone here was doing this time of year without me."

The pleasant curve of her lips suddenly made him uneasy, and further provoked his mind to ask a question he had been waiting for the opportune time to address. "So... you are glad you're back? Right?"

"I am..." She replied confidently, somewhat taken back by the seriousness upon his features molded with much more curiosity then she would have liked. "... but it was scary at first. Just the whole... reappearing in everyone's life thing, but sure, I'm happy to be back."

"What would you normally do with everyone if you had never left?"

"Uh... " She was beginning to feel slightly ridiculous now. He continued with endless questioning and she was nonetheless hoping his interest would calm soon. She felt comfortable revealing some things about her, but he was becoming far too close to breaching a subject she was otherwise hoping to avoid all together. "Well, If my memory serves correctly, I think Vic would probably find his way to my house and pick me up, take me to breakfast, and we'd make plans for tomorrow and gossip about anything and everything going on in our lives at the time."

"And now?"

She sighed, taking a second to analyze the eager look on his face. He was adamant about each question being answered and while she would have no objections to answer, he seemed far too enthralled with the details of her life for her own comfort. "Now? Now I'm here... with you..." her shoulders perked. "And I'm happy."

Her eyes narrowed at the beginning of his signature smirk that stretched across his face as he looked to her. He swallowed hard, taking her hand into his, his thumb doting upon the back of her hand. "Is it alright if I assume you and I will be making plans together for tomorrow?"

She smiled sheepishly. "If that's what you would want."

"I do."

"Alright... then yes." She lowered her voice into a playful pitch. "What are our plans Richard?"

He released a content sigh, his hand in hers gripping tighter. It would be hard for her not to notice his eyes blushing down at their hands as their fingers intertwined; the sight never more tantalizing at her nerves as well. In all honesty she was still coming to terms that he was even interested in someone like her, but she was enjoying herself far too much to question it for too long.

"Well,..." He continued. "I may have work today but after that I have a good three days off before I have to be back at Wayne Enterprises so there really isn't any limitation to what we could do."

Kori smiled, her emotions fluttering like butterflies in her stomach now; just hearing that he wanted to spend time with her was enough to send her emotions into a whirl once more and she was doing her best to conceal the fact that her breath was becoming more stressed each time his eyes met hers, which was why she was never more appreciative that he spoke once more; giving her time to focus on her breathing.

"What would you and Vic normally do?" A small chuckle escaped him. "Because something tells me no matter how much I want you to myself on the holidays that isn't the reality of what is to happen."

"That's true." Kori giggled. "I don't know, Vic and I usually spent Christmas on campus, being in college and all, we would meet up with everyone, you know, Wally, Ryan, Gar, Rachel, Karen and..."

"...and Roy." He added in an irritated muffle of his lips against his coffee cup now.

Kori blushed, suddenly finding that the freezing weather around them made no difference in the insufferable heat that resonated at her cheeks. "Right,..." She cleared her throat, doing her best to continue the discussion and pull him out of the obvious display of annoyance he held for her past relationship with Roy. "... and we would do small things like going ice skating, getting drunk before the night was through and wake up Christmas morning with head pounding hangovers." She laughed at the memory. "... but before that it was just Vic and me. I would force him to stay up as late as possible watching classic Christmas movies and..."

"Don't tell me your one of those who will watch the same movie every year just because its Christmas."

"I am." She said defensively, his piercing eyes studying her. "Who doesn't enjoy Christmas movies? They have this warm holiday cheer about them and make the day... I don't know... better."

"Yea but they're all the same and once you've seen one you've seen them all."

She shook her head. "No, no, no..." She sighed, turning her body toward him now, sporting a small pout. "Does that mean if I asked you to join me in watching a Christmas movie you would turn me down?"

He hesitated, basking in the eagerness in her sparkling emeralds. "No... I don't think I could deny you anything."

She smiled. God, he was never more charming then right now... but then again how many times has this reality caught her attention on several different occasions? The man was the exact definition of charming, how could she even be expected to decipher moments when he wasn't being anything other then charming when it came so naturally to him?

"Good, because that just so happens to be one of our plans... if that's okay with you." She teased.

"It is." He paused in thought once more. "So whats your favorite thing about Christmas?" Kori hesitated now, her eyes narrowed over him. "What?"

She sighed. "You are asking a lot of questions Mr. Grayson. I feel like I'm in an interview."

Richard shrugged, his cheeks flushing slightly. "I'm sorry I just... I never have a lot of time alone with you and I'm just trying to get to know you better."

"That's very ... unexpected."

"Why?"

"I don't know." She was suddenly overwhelmed with an uneasy feeling now. "I guess it's just that most guys try to avoid any conversation that involves women talking about their likes and dislikes, and for someone like me who is prone to rambling..."

"Well, I thinks its safe to assume I enjoy your rambling; you're very adorable when you're lost in thought. So come on,..." He chuckled, nudging at her knee with his. "... answer the question."

She took a moment to absorb the unflinching expectant flicker in his eyes before responding. Either he was really good at faking interest or he was genuinely this charming, which I think we've already made fact on this subject. "Well, I'm flattered you're interested in the details of my life but I'm as equally as curious in yours." With her hand she motioned to herself. "If I'm going to share, then so are you." She smiled elbowing his side gently. "So what is your favorite thing about Christmas?"

Richard sighed, his free hand removing itself from hers nervously and rubbed at the back of his neck. "I... I don't know."

"How can you not know?" Was he really going to be this guarded around her when he expected her to open up to him? Hypocritical scenario anyone? She hesitated against the vulnerable recession in his eyes which moved frantically over the ground beneath them. Inhaling deeply she placed a hand beneath his chin, forcing his gaze to hers. Studying his features as she spoke, she did her best to force a believable smile when in reality the intensity of emotion in his azure iris' consumed her in parallel vulnerability. "Hey... I can understand if it's personal." Her smile softened. "If you really don't want to tell me then..."

"No..." he swallowed hard. It _was_ personal, but he would tell her anything she wanted to know. He hesitated, this was something he hadn't spoken to anyone about in... well, he never had. "I guess ... well, when I was younger my mother would..." he sighed. The memory, his words... they were proving to be more of a struggle to form then he had expected. That is until he looked to Kori, her sympathetic and understanding gaze patiently waiting for him to continue, suddenly drowned out all the hesitation he felt. He gave a weak smile, then continued. "She would sneak into my room before the sun was even up and she would wake me and... I..." He paused as Kori's hand presented itself upon his. He basked in the warmth of her sweet smile and said, "She just had this way of always make things special, no matter how ridiculous the moment was. It was always fun with her. She would wake me up early and we would rush my father awake in anticipation of the presents and once that was done we would do the one thing we considered fun on Christmas..." he hesitated once more. "... we would go this old fair. It was popular back then and I think it's been shut down for a long time but we would spend our entire day just wandering around." A small chuckle escaped him as the memory weaved peacefully though his mind. "They had this circus there that we would watch. It was all just... fun, pure, childish fun."

"That's beautiful. "

Clearing his throat, immediately casting the memory back into the darker edges of his mind he turned to her. "What about you?"

It was Kori's turn to become nervous now but she had decided that if Richard could speak about something as emotional as his recollection of tradition among his deceased parents then so could she. "Well, my parents were always out of town during the holidays; doing events or whatever but... Christmas was always Komi's favorite holiday." She shook her head, her voice raising in more of a squeal of a pitch as she spoke through small giggles. "I mean, she would go missing almost all year but when Christmas rolled around... so would she. She'd have these amazing stories of all the adventures she had since we last saw her," She rolled her eyes. "... the rich and famous men she slept with, the connections she made, the money she managed to pry out of men's wallets, and she'd always have these crazy amounts of pictures to reel through; all proof of the crazy stunts she had pulled." She giggled at the memory. "She was... a free spirit; thrived off of the next adrenaline rush she could place herself in."

"She's sounds fun."

"She was... she really was."

Richard paused and stared down at her, the intense amount of despair in her eyes was enough to shake his own composure. He hated seeing her like this and while he took comfort int he fact she was opening up to him it was still a hard thing to witness; especially since he knew he could never really take her pain away.

He hesitated, then placing a hand at her jaw line he brought her lips against his in a sweet kiss before resting his forehead against hers, his arms drawing her body into a warm embrace. "Did you want to visit her together on Christmas?"

Looking up at him Kori had to hold back the emotion in her eyes that burned with the need to let loose in tears. Swallowing hard she nodded.

Richard's lips curved slightly in a sympathetic smile. "Thank you Kori."

Her head tilted to the side curiously and somewhat confused. "For what?"

He shook his head, a thumb caressing her cheek now. "For letting me in. I know you weren't ready for any of this and ... you just being here, with me, it makes this feel all the more real."

"And... you're happy?"

He nodded without pause. "When I'm with you I am."

Her nerves set in against his intense gaze causing her to glance away briefly. Swallowing hard she brought her free hand to the back of his neck and sweetly pulled him down to her, the collision of their kiss never more passionate.

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**

Lingering glares became realized as Kori and Richard waltzed into the Manor hours later. Passing quick glances back to one another they sighed to themselves. This was a pattern they were not enjoying, the judgmental looks of their friends that gathered within the living room staring back at them was not a pleasant one.

"Well... I guess we found her." Vic said suspiciously, his eyes narrowing over Kori then moving to Richard.

Kori immediately discarded the displeased eyes of everyone in the room which narrowed over her existence and she called to Silkie, the kitten racing out of the hallway toward her. "Lets go Vic. I'm starving, can you take me to breakfast?"

Without questioning her Vic agreed, quickly taking Karen's hand before he gathered his suitcase along with Kori's and joined her at the front door. As he stepped outside Kori glanced back at the tension filled room then inhaled deeply, turning to Richard. She wasn't ready to have everyone judging their relationship which was still in transition and otherwise preferred the details of her and Richard to be kept at a minimum; in her defense it truly wasn't anyone else's business but her own.

She gave him a quick smile then hugged him gently, placing a sweet kiss against his cheek. "Thank you for the coffee Richard."

Lowering his voice and ignoring the fact that everyone was watching them, he brushed a crimson curl out of her eyes and smiled. "Can I see you later?"

Kori swallowed hard, the heat of the eyes that burned into her head were hard to discard as she nodded in response. "I'll call you later."

As she scampered out of the house he turned to address those persistent glares once more. "What?"

"Where were you two?" Ryan asked with bit back annoyance.

"We got coffee." He answered back innocently. "No one else was awake so we went together."

"Making coffee here was too easy for you?" Roy growled, his arms crossing over his chest.

Richard inhaled deeply refusing his friends' attempts at crushing his pleasant mood. With a shrug he stepped to the hallway. "Thanks for coming this weekend guys."

As he vanished into the hallway Roy turned to Wally, Ryan and Gar. "This is something Rachel needs to know."

"We don't even know that anything happened between them." Gar said, trying to play more along the lines of being on Kori's side. In reality he knew their morning escape was probably anything but innocent but who says that's a bad thing? He knew Roy was just jealous of losing Kori and Ryan was playing the protective older brother while Wally was being a good friend but not everything Kori did had to be scrutinized. Did it?

"We can tell her another time. She's already busy with work." Wally suggested, grabbing his belongings and heading for the door.

"I don't like this. "

"What are you going to do about it?" Wally asked a very aggressive Roy.

Roy smiled. "What ever I have to."

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**


	11. Help Me Understand

**Chapter Eleven: Help Me Understand**

"This isn't awkward." Vic said, pulling into a small parking lot before a small diner. The drive from the Manor to here was one spent in silence, silence in which Vic only allowed to pursue at the obvious display of frustration Kori remained in. It must have been far to clear that Kori was not in the mood for talking for even Karen remained in silence. Clearing his throat he pulled the key from the ignition and looked to Kori with a heavy sigh. "Whats wrong?"

"Nothing." Which of course wasn't so. In truth she had a wonderful morning, a morning that was instantly destroyed the moment they passed the Manor threshold to behold a sea of glares narrowed on them. She couldn't understand it... she was happy so why was everyone so hellbent on making her feel guilty for who it was who made her happy?

Now, it may not have even remotely been a believable reply but at the same time it was obvious to Vic that she hadn't even attempted to cover up her far too clear irritation this morning. He followed her into the diner and sat across her, his eyes narrowing as she hid beneath a large menu trying to avoid any conversation.

"Kor..."

No reply.

"Kori..."

Still nothing. What could possibly be bothering her? If it was Richard, Vic would have no issue in driving back to the Manor if only to extend his disapproval with any insinuated altercation the two could have had; of course it would be less of an argument and more of a physical explanation of violence, but he had decided to give Kori the chance to prove his assumptions wrong.

"Kori Anders... you answer me little lady!" He demanded firmly, both Karen and Kori jumping at the volume of his voice. With this Kori released the menu to the table, cowering before Vic's intimidating gaze.

"Yes Vic?" She said lifelessly.

"I'm not even going to _ask_ why you and Richard were together this morning because I have been very clear that you should stay away from him but..."

"And I have made it very clear that we are _friends_." Which was true, she wasn't lying per say. I mean sure they were slightly more than friends but that didn't meant their friendship just came to a halt as a result of more intimate altercations. In the end, she knew what he was getting at and while she wasn't technically being dishonest, she was withholding obvious truths.

"Fine," He replied, unconvinced. "... so what's bothering you?"

Kori sighed, her finger tracing the small pattern of the tablecloth beneath her hand now, suddenly feeling like a child being scolded by a very aggravated parent. "I don't know. Nothing I guess."

Annoyed, frustrated, angry, saddened,... which ever adjective suits best, it didn't matter, at some point they were all an insight to how Vic was feeling right now. "Kori... what _happened_ to us?"

With this Kori's mind went blank. This was entirely unexpected. "What? What do you mean?"

Vic's sigh only amplified the obvious discomfort he felt. The sight of how bothered he was as of now only plummeted Kori's emotions into further confusion. "I ... you and I... we used to be able to talk to each other about everything... _anything_, and now..." He shook his head. "I feel like I don't know you."

Kori swallowed hard. He was right, she may have been gone a long time, may have changed but that in no way meant she was willing to allow her friendship with Vic, the closeness they once shared, to become nothing more than a memory, and the lack of effort she had put in trying to rebuild said friendship was burying her in guilt. "I'm ... I'm so sorry. Vic, this ... this is my fault. I..."

He waved a hand in front of her dismissively, causing her to fall silent. "I'm not trying to play the blame game. I just want my best friend back." The helpless shrug he gave her was enough to make her want to cry but she held back. "I miss you Kor."

She lowered her head into her hands, her breathing shaken. "I know. I miss you too Vic."

"Uh... I'm gonna go to the bathroom." Karen whispered awkwardly, excusing herself and giving them the space they needed in this conversation.

"All I'm asking..." Vic continued, his voice soft. "... is that you let me be here for you. I can tell somethings bothering you and I hate the fact that I can't tell what it is, but I can't help if you don't tell me."

Kori hesitated, their eyes meeting in silence. Inhaling deeply, and after a long moment of contemplation Kori said, "Fine... but if I tell you this you have to promise to keep it between us."

"Of course I ..."

"I'm serious Vic." Kori interrupted with an immense amount of vitality ringing in her voice. "You want to claim that best friend card again then I need you to _be_ my best friend again. If I tell you this you have to stick by my side, no judgement, no anger, just helpful responses."

Vic hesitated, a part of him knew where this was going, knew it had something to do with Richard, and while he wasn't happy about it, he was certain she needed him in this moment. "Lets hear it."

Kori bit at the bottom of her lip, the words she was about to say were a struggle to muster against Vic's narrowed gaze, even his posture resembled that of judgmental anticipation. "I sort of... I'm kind of... I kissed Richard."

Vic paused. He already knew that, everyone already knew that. So why would it bother her? Or him for that matter? He gave off a relieved chuckle. "Yea, but everyone already forgot about it so..."

"No..." Kori said, her gaze fixated on the table now. "I mean, I kissed him again,..." Noticing the tense broadening of his shoulders she began to rush her words, her tone almost in a squeal of a pitch. "I've actually kissed him a lot more than just a handful of times and,..." she swallowed hard, her eyes averted still. She figured, what the hell,... why not just get all of this off her chest? Sure, she would talk to Komi about it later but a headstone doesn't exactly give great advice and she was nonetheless desperate for an alternate perspective of her situation with Richard. "I slept with him last night and..."

"What?" Vic shouted, no amount of rage being held back.

Kori paused, replaying her last words in her mind before she broke into laughter. "No... I mean I slept _beside_ him, ... in his bed..." she continued to elaborate as Vic refused to calm, that vein in his neck pulsating violently. "... we _didn't_ have sex."

There was an awkward silence. Vic was trying to think of anything that could calm the anger he felt right now, the presence of Kori innocently sipping at her orange juice before her not helping matters. He was enraged that she would go against his warnings to remain as far from being intimate with Richard as possible but he knew she was taking a risk telling him what took place between them and was giving his all to try to calm himself; regardless of how upset he was with her right now.

His teeth were clenched in a tight lockjaw of sorts as his words cracked through them slowly. "Why?"

His judgmental scowl was far too much for her to handle, so she made the decision to not hold back in her feelings. Her theory was this... perhaps if she revealed the depth of how she truly felt about Richard, Vic would suddenly, _hopefully_, understand. Doubtful, but worth a try.

She licked at her lips nervously, then said, "I like him." He exhaled curtly, the act deflected by Kori with a giggle. "He makes me happy Vic."

"That's what he does. But how long will it last Kori?"

She paused taking a true amount of time to assess his question, then with a shrug she smiled. Her voice became uneven and dazed, as though the words she spoke weren't just for Vic's ears but also her own; she needed to believe it as well. "As long as it does."

"What?" That was entirely unexpected. He had hoped his words would convince her to back off of Richard. The mere fact she was being so careless about potentially being hurt by him was not a comforting one. He exhaled slowly, his anger thrust aside as he stared into her glittering eyes; she seemed to be content with the fact that her feelings for Richard were only momentary and that was something he didn't want for her. "Kor,... you _can't_ be happy knowing he'd only hurt you. Help me understand where you're coming from."

Her shoulders raised in a lingering shrug, her eyes lowered against the table as her mind began to wander back to Richard, speaking more to herself then Vic now; a dreamy tone at her play of words. "I don't know ... he just, ... he makes everything better." A small laugh released from her and she lifted a hand over her smiling lips. "I mean, when I lost Komi everything felt really dark, depressing, and it didn't feel like I only lost her, I felt the weight of my parents deaths twice over. It was... I... I was lost and I wasn't sure I wanted to be found but when I'm around him, _everything_ changes... Vic... I don't even think about that stuff; all the negativity." The intensity of the utter release she felt at this moment, being able to express how she felt, even if it was just in words, whether Vic could relate to them or not, it made her emotional. It felt as though an insufferable weight was being lifted off her shoulders. She rolled her eyes to herself mid laugh at the realization of the brimming tears that coated her vision, spawned from nothing more than happiness and peace of mind which had avoided her life for what seemed like so long now. "I'm not sad anymore. The pain doesn't ever really go away, but it fades when I'm with him." She looked to Vic now, a small sniffle invading her laugh. "He makes me smile,...laugh... happy." Separating herself from her thoughts now and tuning into the hesitant gaze of Vic's large brown eyes, she swallowed hard; that guilty feeling setting in once more. "Can't that be enough for any of you?"

He remained silent for a moment. He wished things could be that easy; that he could just ignore that gut feeling in his stomach that this wouldn't end well but he knew better. He had seen Kori when loss occurred, when something important in her life was stripped from her fingers and it was anything but easy to witness; especially a best friend on the sidelines. "And what will happen when he hurts you?"

Her lips scrunched in an awkward purse. To even consider this gave life to a far to intense sharpness of pain within her. "I don't know... " Her hands began to tremble as she began to fidget them within her lap." ... and I don't care. I can't think about that because it distracts from the now; distracts the feelings he gives me now." She gave off an exasperated laughed, hating that she had to justify her choices to anyone. "I'm happy with him and even though he... even if he were to..." she shook her head. " ... it shouldn't matter why I spend my time with him or why I'm interested in him. As my best friend all that should matter is that it is my _choice_ to do so."

Vic remained quiet, his mind striving for any solution that could convince her to reconsider. Then, as he glanced up at her again, finding nothing more than her happiness shining back at him, he gave a reluctant nod. "Alright."

Kori's eyes narrowed in disbelief. "Alright?"

His chest raised in a heavy sigh, a hand running over his bald head. "Alright Kor,... I don't like it, but I'm not going to judge your actions. You're right, you can do what you want."

"And..." Kori said nervously.

Vic shook his head with a heavy sigh, his hands out at his sides in defeat. "And... I wont breathe a word of this to anyone." Directing a stern finger at her, he smiled. "Mainly because Rachel would kill you... _and_ Spike."

"Spike?" Kori asked curiously, her head tilted to the side.

Vic laughed and forcing the pitch of his voice into a high, more taunting manner, his fingers making quotation marks as he said, "Richard."

Kori erupted into elated giggles now, Vic eventually joining her.

"I'm just saying to be careful. Dick is... "

"Your friend." She reminded him.

He gave a reluctant nod. "Definitely. I mean, I love him like a brother but... if he ever hurts you I wont hesitate to..."

"I don't want to know." She exhaled heavily, suddenly feeling more at ease with her situation. "I just... I want you to know that he's not as horrible as all of you make him out to be. And... and I... I can't believe that he would ever hurt me; not intentionally anyway." She blushed, noticing her phone vibrate against the table, a bold font **RICHARD** staring back at her. Quickly silencing the phone, she smiled back at Vic. "I promise that you and I are going to have a lot more fun. I think its safe to say I've been a tad distracted lately."

"Tomorrow's Christmas Eve." His brows danced mischievously.

"You know what that means." Karen said with a giggle as she returned to the table.

A true chuckle sounded from Vic now as he nodded. "So are you going to invite _anyone_ to join in on our traditions tomorrow?"

Kori hesitated. To be honest she wasn't sure what Richard was to her. He was more than a friend but there was really no way to tell if they were actually boyfriend status yet. Thrusting this thought aside, she smiled. "I don't know if _anyone_ could handle seeing that."

He shrugged. "You never know."

Kori smiled, the happiness she felt in this moment never more enjoyable. Having Vic back, _really_ having him back, it was a soothing, healing instant between friends.

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT TTT**

Rachel. Richard. Silence. Glares. Silent accusations. Tension heavy in the air. It was long since everyone had departed from the Manor and Richard had spent a few hours before having to be at work just relaxing. It would take one phone call that could ruin his entire day, and it was Rachel who was responsible for this.

Apparently, a little birdy, to whom he was assuming went by the name of Roy Harper, had gladly informed Rachel of the incident this morning when Kori and himself were found wandering into the Manor alone. To be clear, he was certain it was obvious to everyone that things between him and Kori had progressed but he just couldn't understand why it was anyone else's concern. Either way, Rachel was far beyond upset and after a lengthy monologue of how disappointed she was in him the only thing that had caught his attention was the fact that Rachel had offered up the information that she, as well as Karen and probably everyone else he considered a close friend had been conspiring against him behind his back in hopes of getting Kori to think of him as nothing more than an untrustworthy playboy; something he hadn't been in a very long time.

As of now he sat in a small room within the hospital at a small table, across from Rachel. If it had been for any other reason he was certain he would have merely stood her up, just as she would have done the same to him in the fit of rage they were both feeling, but Richard was anxious to pry every bit of detail Rachel had spouted off to Kori in relation to him. Which was perfect because it just so happened Rachel's eyes burning with suspicion. Learning of Kori and Richard's private getaway this morning was something she was trying her hardest not to lash out at until she had the full story, and yet here they were, neither one willing to spark conversation first; both feeling far too frustrated.

You see, the difficult part about this situation was that Richard and Rachel were far too much alike for arguments of this relation to end on a good note, and they both knew this which is why suppressed amounts of anger were being stifled back as of now. The reality of the situation was this: they were both too stubborn, temperamental, and had a very ridiculous habit of avoiding announcing direct questions and resulted to merely dancing around the subject in riddle type traps of conversation, trying to get the other to fall, slip up, and reveal more information they would have liked. Confusing? Definitely, so lets see where this goes...

As of now Rachel sat on one side of the table which was otherwise empty aside from Richard who resided across from her and a fellow coworker at the other end of the table sitting quietly and trying to ignore their conversation all together. The mere darkened gazes that narrowed over one another's was enough to confirm the obvious tension between them but neither would draw attention to it directly.

It would be Rachel who spoke first, which could only mean she was far too anxious to assert her anger by other means. "Bruce wanted me to ask if you will be attending the celebration downtown tomorrow? He wanted me to stress the fact that it is a family event and while you are expected to be there, he would appreciate a confirmation."

"Yes..." Richard said blandly. "I'll try to make an appearance. " His eyes narrowed over Rachel. "...what about you Rachel?" He shrugged. "We all know how much you can't wait to take a turn at _supporting_ family."

Rachel's brow arched at his misleading stab at her; the lack of sarcasm that was missing did not go unacknowledged by her who knew exactly what he was doing. He would be a fool to think she hadn't realized the outraged attitude he had given her earlier on the phone when she said she had practically 'pushed him under the bus' where Kori was concerned. It was true though, she would do anything to keep them apart. Crazy? Rude? Well, she had her reasons, whether we understand it yet or not is merely a method of patience inflicted upon us for what most would refer to as ... dramatic effect.

"I'm on call Dick, so no I wont be attending, but I'm sure you can find a way to survive without me there." She paused, looking to her coworker who was scrunched within her seat slightly hoping to go unnoticed. "This is a holiday event." It was more of a rhetorical statement, the nervous girl only acknowledged for dramatics; not for her to actually respond to. Rachel looked back to Richard, her words screeching passed her lips in a testing tone. "One meant for family to acknowledge how thankful they are to have one another and how much they _appreciate_ them."

Great counter, but he wasn't going to give in to her just yet. He knew why she was upset with him, her words dancing around the fact that she nonetheless was waiting for him to confirm a relationship with Kori in the making, but he wouldn't give in; not that easy. No, he was more focused on getting the answers he wanted about what Rachel had said behind his back to Kori. A childish game between cousins... but never more a severely important argument; this is how they expressed themselves to one another without actually voicing the fact that each had hurt the others feelings.

Clearing his throat, he said, "Which would only make sense that you aren't going to be there." His azure gaze darkened. "You always did have your own agenda."

She gave off a sarcastic laugh, this game becoming far too much fun for her now; this conversation was more her territory then the ridiculous exchange of words she endured on most occasions with the pathetic subjects of the world. "Which makes me question why you _would_ attend such an event. We all know how _little_ you care for other people's concerns."

"I wonder how you can come to any assumption of my current personality or view points when you are busy sparking far too much interest of my past. It's a wonder I ever managed to become something other than what your memory serves as my personality especially when your far too concerned with keeping those references intact and never forgotten by anyone."

Rachel rolled her eyes. He never seemed more pathetic to her right now, concerned about himself and his reputation that he cared so much about. "Perhaps if you didn't enter into situations that _deserve_ to draw to such recollections of your past then maybe people wouldn't feel _inclined_ to revive them."

The amount of frustration he felt now was making it harder to hold back his anger. In the end, it shouldn't have mattered who he had taken an interest in, in his opinion, Rachel was his cousin, his family, and should otherwise have been on his side, not against him. "And what would, in your opinion, justify the perfect time for me to move on, grow as a person, become _anything_ other then what my lingering past represents in your eyes? I mean is that all you see when you see me? My reputation? A playboy? A man incapable of _change_, or love, or emotion?"

"What does my opinion matter? You've already made it clear its nothing more than irrelevant words in comparison to what you dub as worthy behavior." She shrugged, her fingers wrapped tightly around her fork. He could be angry all he wanted, to be honest, all she was concerned with was keeping Kori from the harm he could inflict on her heart. The sparks between Richard and Kori were hard to ignore, even for someone as emotionless as herself and yet... it couldn't happen. Why? Rachel had seen Kori consumed in the feeling of love, that isn't what concerned her, no, it was the loss that would eventually follow. Again, its been made far more apparent to everyone that there were things about Kori's past that still remained in the dark, and it was this very reason Rachel would remain firm in her stance in this argument. Kori couldn't survive the heartache she was certain Richard would cause, and if she had anything to say about it... he would never have the chance to do so. The fact that she was enraged that he continued to disrespect her word and plead to leave Kori be was something she was hardly able to keep calm about. "I mean, why even pretend that my word would have any amount of effect on the decisions you make? It's obviously not true."

"Why even ask?" He laughed, leaning back in his chair, crossing his arms. "Apparently you are far too versed in '_my ways_' for me to even contemplate a response that you could not muster for yourself."

"You're right." She looked to her coworker again who merely remained silent allowing their feud to continue. "And we are all well aware of the fact that your intentions, once decided, refuse to be altered or compromised regardless of limitations that have been set before you, even by those who are close with you."

"Close?" He shook his head, never feeling more distant from Rachel then he had in his entire life. "If you're referring to yourself then perhaps you are the one who is confused my dear cousin."

"Me? Confused?" She gave off a snort of a laugh. Richard was arrogant but this was just getting to be too much. Her defined brow curved, shaking slightly in forced back agitation. "Please, enlighten me. What have I ever done to shame your name that _you_ haven't already done yourself?"

Richards teeth were grinding behind closed lips, his fist clenched slightly. "I'm merely drawing attention to the fact that for someone like you, who holds themselves at a close light in relation to me, being family and all, then the assumption should easily be made that you would not provoke such ongoing's of deceit where my name is mentioned and should in fact do the opposite of what you have been doing."

"That's quite a lot to ask for someone who is equally ignoring such common courtesies as respect for others opinions."

He sighed, patience for this conversation thinning ever more. "What did you tell Kori about me? And why would you even bash my name? Whether I had feelings for her or not you are suppose to be my family. I thought you were the last one I would have to worry about."

"Don't act all high and mighty Dick. You expect me to loyally represent and follow stereotypes of family members having each others backs when I have gone out of my way to stress that I don't appreciate you flirting with Kori and trying to charm her into your pants and yet here you are."

"That has nothing to do with this, you made her think I was a horrible, heartless person and..."

"Oh get over it Dick. No one gives a shit." She laughed, finding humor in his mild attempt at disputing this fact. "Besides you _are_ a horrible, heartless person when it comes to women so I was doing nothing more than giving her an insight to what to expect from your flirting should she give in."

"You wont tell me a _thing_ about her past but you have no problem spilling all of my bad habits just to ensure she would hate me?"

"Does she?" She inquired with a smirk.

Richard paused, eyes narrowing. "This isn't funny Rachel. What did you tell her?"

"Nothing any given magazine can't confirm." She smiled, it may sound cruel but it was too clear to her that this statement had gotten under his skin and this satisfied her rage; slightly. She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back in her seat now. "I told her that you're a playboy, dishonest, and... well, you're an asshole that would only hurt her."

"Oh... I see, and you find that there's nothing wrong with that?"

She shrugged. Did he really think himself immune to her attitude and anger merely because they were related? "Why not? It's not like it's stopping you from wearing her defenses down. It seems she was pretty content with you this morning."

He gave in. If he were to give her the satisfaction of realizing how bothered, no, offended, he was by her antics, it would only make things worse for himself. Standing he sighed. "Fine."

Rachel sighed, feeling suddenly prey to his intense gaze which lingered back before her in utter innocence; innocence she was beginning to feel bad for. "Fine."

"Fine." He repeated firmly.

Rolling her eyes she brought her voice to a muffle, regretting her statement before she even said it. "I suppose I shouldn't have..." She paused, Richard looking over at her now as she began to fidget uncomfortably before him. "... it wasn't fair for me to draw attention to... while _very_ honest... truthful... and _valid_ details of who you are and what your past entails... in the end I guess it was wrong of me to do it in spite of your advances on Kori."

"Great apology Rae... I think you're getting better." He sighed, his attention cast down to his phone once more.

"And you?"

Now this made him laugh. "I wont apologize for something I didn't do."

"You're an asshole."

He shrugged. "I would hate to disappoint the theories you have about me."

There was an intense glare shared before Rachel stepped around the table toward him as he remained confidently beside her. She directed a finger up at him violently as she spoke. "I'll say this one last time. If I find out you..."

"Yea yea no need to say it again. You'll kick my ass if you find out I'm seeing Kori." Having grown tired of the conversation he glanced at his Rolex. "You better eat your lunch before you run out of time." A chuckle sounded as she exhaled curtly. "Perhaps there's more lives you can enjoy interfering with."

There was an awkward shuffle from Rachel which instantly drew Richard from his antagonizing role and listened intently to her. "Listen so... my work schedule is pretty hectic lately so I wont see you tomorrow and I'll probably be busy catching up on sleep for the next couple days so..."

Richard paused, then gave her a brief smile. He could be mad at her all he wanted, but she was family and he loved her. "Well... Merry Christmas Rae..." He kissed her upon the head and stalked off down the hallway, his voice ringing back to her in a teasing manner."Its a shame we wont be graced with your harsh attitude and overall distaste for any shred of happiness come Christmas morning."

Rachel sighed, making her way back to the table. "Right because you've been known to be a ray of sunshine yourself, Richard..." She smiled to herself, crossing one leg over the other beneath the table. "Merry Christmas to you too, prick." As her attention returned to the food Richard had brought her she sighed. It was the shifting of her coworkers feet that drew Rachel's gaze to hers. Realizing the girl was staring back at her sympathetically she rolled her eyes. "What?"

The girls' eyes widened. "Nothing I just... are you... are you alright?"

Rachel laughed to herself, no further amount of response extended to the now utterly confused and awkward girl in the corner.

Ahh, the holidays...

It was a strange relationship, Richard and Rachel's bond was never really understood by any of their friends but it was unique to their needs and expectations, and it worked. They never really hated one another, not for too long anyhow, because aside from the arrogance, attitudes, and snarky remarks, they loved each other just like any family member would, they were just a different breed of their own little amount of crazy... very interesting if you ask me.

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**

"Richard?" Kori squealed, as she answered her phone.

"Uh, yea, umm..." he gave off a nervous chuckle; the reality that she was feeling just as anxious and consumed by giddy feelings at the chance to speak with him again only made this moment better. "Hey uh... I just got off work so if you give me a good half hour I can shower and then meet you back at Vic's. Sound good?"

Kori bit at her bottom lip, holding her breath in an attempt to suppress her urge to screech in excitement. She turned toward Vic who had just entered the kitchen beside her and she shook her hips slightly in a small dance of eagerness, causing him to roll his eyes in response. "Sounds... great." Her shaky, hardly composed voice managed to say before she hung up the phone. She stepped to Vic, jumping slightly. "He's coming over."

Vic shook his head at the sight of her. "Geeze Kor, what are you in high school?"

She giggled. "It sorta feels that way." She suddenly paused. "Oh my God."

"What?" He asked, immediately concerned with her expression of fear.

She looked down at her phone for the time. "I have less than a half hour before he gets here."

Narrowed eyes and an agape mouth lingered in silence, awaiting her elaboration of the catastrophe of the situation in which he wasn't seeing. "Uh... okay."

Kori rolled her eyes. "I do not have enough time to get ready." Tapping her index finger, she glanced down at her appearance. She had spent her time alone painting and her clothing as well as some parts of her skin were dabbed with scattered paint marks. "Alright... its time to go into overdrive." She ignored Vic's hysteric laughter and sighed. "When he gets here... just answer the door but don't... don't let him... just... just make sure he stays in the living room."

"Damn Kori just go get ready."

So that's what she did. Her slim figure pranced away from Vic, leaving him in hysterics at her ridiculous concerns over her appearance. Now, by the time Kori had finished getting ready she checked her phone and realized a miss text from Richard which merely explained that he would need a little more time. She rolled her eyes to herself, of course he did, she should have known that on instinct, it had to take some worthy amount of time to perfect those signature ebony spikes of his.

Shrugging off the thought with a small laugh she entered the living room, annoyed that Vic was nowhere to be found. It wasn't until the doorbell rang that her nerves had sparked ever more fiercely in her veins. Making her way to the door slowly, she inhaled deeply at the anticipation of seeing him again. It had only been a few hours but she genuinely missed him and would be lying if she denied her craving of his soft, warm lips against hers, ... oh and not to mention that with her spare time she had come up with the perfect idea for their plans tomorrow.

With excitement boiling at her cheeks in her all too predictable blush her mind had designed just for Richard, she fixed her hand on the door knob. With one last deep inhale she pulled the door open, her smile suddenly falling out of existence.

"Roy?"

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**(A/N) Alright so... thank you everyone for the amazing reviews, they really do help when I need to understand if the messages I'm sending in the story are being relayed correctly so... cool. This is sorta a filler chapter but if it isn't obvious shits about to go down and for the structure of next chapter this one was necessary. So... look for the next update which should be much sooner then before. Sorry about updating late, I do what I can. **


	12. Big Mistake

**Chapter Twelve: Big Mistake**

"Roy?" Kori said breathlessly.

She remained momentarily speechless at the sight of him. He stood, his body victim to a small sway, his eyes bloodshot, and a slur invading his voice; confirming the fact he had been drinking. He leaned an arm into the door frame, a deep exhale showering Kori with the bitter scent of alcohol on his breath.

"You look... amazing."

The compliment was joined with a seductive crawl of his eyes over her appearance which only made her feel uncomfortable. It was true through, she did look amazing in this moment but in reality it was an attempt to please Richard not Roy.

Swallowing hard she fixed her left hand over the edge of the door, her body stepping into the door frame slightly as to close any amount of space that would provide him entrance to the home. "What are you doing here Roy?"

The chuckle that invaded the awkward thickness of the air made her uneasy; making her question any innocence his intentions for being here could result in. "Look..." he inhaled deeply, readjusting his feet, his hands within his pockets now. "... I just wanted to see you."

With a reluctant nod she said, "I don't think..."

"Come on." He interjected with a smile that she immediately felt queasy against, which arose confusion in her. Roy's smile used to be the one thing that could make her happy, it was something from her past she had yearned to see each morning, but now... now it was different; now it brought hesitation surging through her. "I just want to talk." He paused, taking a moment to absorb the undeniable beauty that soaked her every pore. "You gave me you're word a few nights ago that we would be able to discuss... _us_... and..." he shook his head, a muffled laugh passing through his fingers as he ran a hand over his mouth. "... we've yet to do so."

There was no way this would end well, especially with the obvious fact that Richard could pull up at any moment. She directed her gaze to her feet now, her body pressed against the door, her palms sweaty with the realization that he was nothing but correct. She had given her word that they would talk and while it was never more clear that there was nothing between them to continue aside from friendship, it was apparent he was holding onto the past.

"No, you're ... you're absolutely right. I did say that but..." she sighed, her mind pleading against itself to find an escape from this situation. Sure, she knew Roy deserved some sort of explanation; confirmation about her change in feelings toward him but she got the feeling right now would not be the time to do so. She knew how Roy was when he was intoxicated and even if he had managed to better his mood over the years in certain instances... the mere disheveled sight of him brought little faith to this possibility.

Rolling her eyes she said, "I don't think right now is the best time to have this discussion." She paused as his eyes narrowed, his posture remaining unflinching, making no attempt to leave. She didn't want to hurt his feelings and yet she couldn't help but think there really was no easy way to go about all of this. "I have plans tonight. I'm expecting someone so..."

He shook his head, an all too familiar mischievous clouding of his cerulean eyes taking over. She stepped back as he braced a hand flat against the door and slowly forced it open. Stepping passed her and shutting the door behind him, he chuckled. "I'm only asking for one drink and just a moment of your time."

Kori hesitated to follow him as he entered the kitchen, her eyes glancing back at the door nervously; as if Richard would barge in and instantly have a mislead idea of what was going on before her. She jumped at the sound of Roy calling to her and after a moment of contemplation she brushed a scarlet strand of hair behind her ear, making her way toward him.

"Here." He said, pulling her from her distracted thoughts and handing her a beer which he had retrieved from the fridge. As she accepted it he took a seat at one of the tall bar stools opposite the kitchen counter and gave her a smile. "You gonna sit?"

Why did this feel wrong? Why was her every nerve itching with guilt? Clearing her throat she lowered herself onto the bar stool beside him, one arm hugging at herself. "Roy... I think..."

"You know..." he interrupted, the tapping of his right foot moving rapidly, almost impatiently, against the tiled floor beneath them, Kori's nerves heightened. "There's just one thing I can't seem to figure out." He stared down at her, his firm gaze piercing her once sturdy demeanor. "Why'd you leave?" He shook his head, depicting the precise amount of false hurt that brought Kori further from the border of logic leaving her to sink deep into guilt. Auburn brows knitted above victimized blue eyes, striking Kori's chest with an intense pain that strained her insides. "I... I wasn't sure I'd ever see you again. I mean, _please_ don't tell me you left because of me."

Kori shook her head feverishly. "No,..." she placed a sympathetic hand upon his; falling right into his trap. "Of course not Roy. I left because..." she paused, while she didn't want to reveal her entire reasoning, she knew he deserved some amount of closure. Her chest heaved in a dry inhale of disappointed breath. "Sometimes it takes destroying everything you are and everything you have to be able to ..." she shook her head, searching her thoughts for the proper words. "... I had to rebuild my life. I had to find myself... and I couldn't do that here."

"We could have done it together. You know how much I care about you Kori."

She swallowed hard. "It wasn't that simple Roy." Her body jolted slightly as he ran a hand against her cheek gently. Removing his hand from her she sighed. "It's not simple even now."

"I would have done anything for you Kori, and I still would but..."

"No Roy, that's just it. I didn't deserve you then and I definitely do not deserve you now."

His eyes narrowed, why was she being so deflective? The Kori he once knew would never have been this difficult to break through to. He was certain he had done almost everything to convince her to return to him; he had pulled the guilt trip, the hinting toward love... what else did she want from him?

"We had some good times though, didn't we?" He asked in a more positive tone; lightening the mood.

Kori sighed, it was frustrating her that he was continuously trying to persuade her to return to him and it just wasn't in the cards, not anymore. She understood his confusion; his desperation to claim what was once his but not all things end the way they are expected, no matter how much anyone wants them to.

"Yea Roy... we did; we had some wonderful times, but that's the past. Things have changed and..."

"No Kori, they haven't. We still have plenty of time to pick up right where we left off. I'm not angry with you anymore for leaving, I'm just happy you're back."

"That's the thing Roy..." Oh shit, this was going to be difficult to say. This scenario was far easier to play out in her mind but now that she was thrust into the position where she actually had to voice her perspective in their shattered relationship it was becoming more of a challenge. She cleared her throat nervously. "I... I didn't come back for you."

His gaze hardened. "How could you say that?"

"I realize it sounds cruel and heartless but... I... I have no intentions of picking up where we left off." She shrugged helplessly. "I'm sorry."

He laughed slightly. "Kor... there's no way you can mean that... no way you truly believe that. We... once upon a time you loved me just as much as I love you and... " he shook his head, feeling her continue to slip through his fingers, his window to winning her back slamming shut right before his eyes and there was nothing he could do to stop it. "I thought..."

"I know..." Kori said with a small sniffle, her eyes glistening in a coat of guilt-ridden tears. She stuffed a portion of her hair out of her face and behind her ear, her head dipping in defeat. "I'm so sorry Roy. I know what you thought but the truth is... I do love you I'm just ... I don't think I was ever really _in_ love with you; more the idea of there being _us_." She swallowed hard, her eyes shutting; she couldn't face him. The mere thought of looking into his eyes at this time was met with a mortified feeling. "You were fun, adventurous, mysterious... you were my college love, and I think even if I never left that I would have realized that that's all you would be. I just... I was a different person then. The girl you loved is gone, she just... she doesn't exist anymore and..."

"I don't believe you." He shook his head, downing the last of his beer. "The old Kori I knew would never discard me,... _me_... so easily. I mean, we... it could be just like old times. Isn't that what you want? Isn't that _why_ you came back?"

Kori gave off a weak whimper. "Roy, that was a long time ago and while I cherish our good times they're in the past. Now..."

"I miss you Kori. "

Kori swallowed hard. "Roy..."

"Do you remember..." he interrupted, ignoring her attempts at getting him to understand that she wanted to leave and more importantly that there was nothing waiting for him with her other than friendship.

As Roy continued the conversation with prolonged details of memories past Kori tuned out. Her mind could not help but ponder the reality that Vic had managed to disappear from the house. Where he was or why he had chosen now to vanish was unnerving. It isn't that she felt out of place or awkward around Roy because she still very much valued their friendship, however, it was more than apparent that his intentions were less about building an intimateless friendship and more along the lines of restoring the relationship they once had. Which, sure, she felt pity for him mainly because it was her who had left him in the dark, vanishing for so long and it was because of this she had to constantly remind herself that this was not something that would guilt her into taking him back; especially not when she and Richard had started something more desired for her. As it were, with each passing second, his seductive gaze was plummeting her mind into more uneasy thoughts.

Even as Roy continued with his words, her eyes studied him, his conversation bouncing off her brain without comprehension. She knew what he was doing, and once again, while she felt guilty and understood his persistency, it didn't change the way she felt about Richard coupled with the feelings she no longer had for Roy.

"Don't you remember that?"

Kori's mind flashed alert, his expectant gaze awaiting her reply. Clearing her throat, she adjusted herself in her seat and while she had no idea what he was referring to, she smiled,feeling as though she would regret disagreeing with him. "I do."

He shook his head, a small chuckle escaping him. "It was a great Christmas that year." Kori became uncomfortable under the glare of the small blush that invaded his cheeks. His eyes wandered over her eagerly, and she could tell he was picturing a more exposed version of herself that he had in his memory of her. "Do you remember what we did that night?"

"I..." she paused. The tone of his voice suggested it was not a simple memory but most likely a time they had been far closer; physically. "... I do."

"You were happier then."

"I'm happy now." She said defensively. "I'm _very_ happy."

"Are you repeating yourself to try to convince me... or yourself?"

"Look, Roy... I already told you I have someone coming over and..."

"Who? Dick?" His teeth were clenched against one another, grinding viciously in a sudden switch of attitude.

The stern look on his face was almost hard to exist in its blinding rays. Was this guilt she felt so strongly about Richard who would not be pleased with this situation or was it as a result of the fact she had abandoned, betrayed, Roy those many years ago and had up until this point acted as though there was never anything special between them? Her eyes shut, a hand on her forehead now, feeling far too conflicted within her own thoughts.

"I'm not an idiot Kori." As he continued Kori glanced up at him, the tone in his voice never more disappointed in her. "You really think I don't realize whats going on between you two?" He shook his head, far too amused by his own words. This was it, his last option to sway her. His attention lowered to his drink within his hand now, taking comfort in the fidgeting nervous mess Kori had suddenly become. He wanted her to know he was not so ignorant to realize what she was up to. "Look, I get it. He's ... Dick Grayson... millionaire... playboy... ladies man..."

Kori's eyes narrowed, her previously felt guilt fading, replaced with brimming anger. "That isn't why I like him Roy."

"It isn't?" He shrugged unconvinced. "I can understand why he's so appealing to you. Ask any other women who's made a pass through his bed sheets."

She rolled her glazed eyes, feeling far too vulnerable at the moment. How dare him have the audacity to assume she would be so shallow. "Roy, you know me better than to think I would be with him for money or..."

She fell quiet as he suddenly turned his body within his seat toward her, his tone underlined with aggression. "You're right. I _do_ know you Kori." He laughed, a finger waving in her direction. "You're the same girl who slept with the most highly reputable men in college, a few bad boys sprinkled in before your emotionless, self destructive phase became satisfied and I was the only one left you hadn't been with that was of any importance." Kori inhaled deeply, this was true, all of it. She hadn't been that selfish, hollow shell of a person in a long time and yet right now it felt like she was all over again. No matter how much effort she put forward to change it was as though the world hept shoving her back, not allowing her to progress as a person; never letting her forget the mistakes of her past. Roy shook his head, hands out at his sides innocently. "And you even ruined things with me."

"Stop it, that isn't true." Sure it was...

His gaze darkened. "Isn't it?"

There was a pause, an intense pause, both staring back at one another in a heated set of glares. Why couldn't he see that she wanted to be better? Why was it so difficult for everyone to let her move on and instead of judging and anticipating her failures could they not just accept her? So far it seemed like something which was too much to ask for and yet she would not give in. She had never wanted to be rid of her past more then in this moment, and it was lingering in this conversation, that bottomless pit in her stomach churning violently. Kori searched his eyes for understanding but all she found was a dangerous fire reflecting back at her. Something had changed in him, this wasn't the Roy she remembered. Alcohol or not, she had never seen this side of him. Becoming far too uncomfortable within her own skin she brought herself to her feet, backing away from him.

"I haven't been that way in a long time Roy. I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings or made you feel as though you did anything wrong but..." her voice cracked against the inability of her lungs to satisfy their need for air, the feeling stressing further as he stood, slowly creeping toward her. "Don't Roy, you've been drinking and..." she placed a hand out in front of her as if to relay the desired amount of distance she expected him to keep, but his footing persisted as hers receded. "This isn't you."

He rolled his eyes. "Don't try to seem like the victim here Kori. I know what you like, I know how you are; you aren't this innocent little priss you've been pretending to be." A smile developed over him as Kori's steps came to a halt, her back hitting against a wall behind her. She could feel her chest heaving now in fear, unsure of what was to take place now. As he spoke again, her eyes frantically snapped back and forth to her surroundings in search of an exit, the only one being blocked off by his approaching figure; a contorted darkness coating his voice. "You thrive off being put in your place. Hell, you're the reason I enjoy the playboy lifestyle so much... I love the dominance, _crave_ it even."

Kori shook her head feverishly, her breath never more scarce, her voice shaking against her nerves which refused her the dominance in the situation she once held over him. "I told you... I'm _not_ like that anymore."

His smirk lingered as he lifted a hand to her face, the back of his hand running down her cheek. "You know what I think?"

"Stop it Roy." She slapped his hand away from her, her eyes wide. "You're scaring me."

He silenced her with a harsh kiss against her mouth that delivered only feelings of repulsive disgust for him. His movements were hostile, his hands making their way down to her waist in a blistering smear of forceful affection that was entirely undesired. As she tried to shove him away from her repeatedly, Roy caught her wrist forcing it back to her sides where he held it in place, ignoring her small squeal of shock at his actions. "I think..." his harsh rasp of a breath hovered over her, her eyes shutting in an attempt to hold back her brimming tears; her body still wrestling to free herself from him. He kissed at her cheek, his body pressing into hers. "I don't think you've changed as much as you want all of us to believe, and I sure as hell haven't either."

His touch became more aggressive now, a hand tugging at her waistline, unbuckling the front of her jeans. "Stop!" He braced one shoulder against the center of her chest holding her upper body still as she tried her hardest to put as much space between her waist and his hands as possible. "Roy please... stop!"

He ignored her plead, his hold over her only tightening. His touch stung at her nerves with insufferable sensations of unclean, perverted, undesired heat. Her body was wedged between the wall and Roy's presence that was adamant at progressing his actions. Holding firm against her constant struggle, his lips found their way to her collar-bone in a few less then gentle kisses. "I miss you Kori and I _know_ you miss me too."

As his kiss lowered against her chest Kori released a growl of frustration before the pressure of Roy's presence against hers was lifted, joined with the loud voice of Vic.

"Get the hell off of her!" Vic shouted, shoving Roy to the floor. His wide-eyed expression turned back to a devastated Kori who hugged at herself now, tears falling silently. "Are you alright?"

"She's fine." Roy said, exhaling curtly and returning to his feet with a growl.

Vic observed Kori's despair as she lowered herself to the floor hugging at herself, a few scattered whimpers sounding in pants of struggled breath. Shoving at Roy again the volume of Vic's voice dominated over everything around them. "Does she _look_ fine to you? What the fuck were you trying to do?"

Roy shook his head, unaffected by Vic's threatening posture and tone. "Don't let her fool you Vic, you know how she is." He looked to Kori and as their eyes met he smiled. "She was enjoying it."

Inhaling deeply Kori lunged at Roy, sending her frail fist to his face, a loud crack sounding before blood began to drip from his nose.

"You bitch." Roy groaned, the entire action having thrown him off.

Shaking her head, Kori crossed her arms. "Fuck you Roy. Get the hell out of here."

Roy opened his mouth to object but was silenced once more by Vic, who invaded Roy's path to Kori and motioned to the front door. "You heard her. Get out."

It was as Roy's figure exited the house that Kori released a deep, unsatisfying sigh. She placed a hand over her forehead in an attempt to ease the unbearable anxiety that surged through her. Sure, she anticipated a small amount of Roy's anger at being pushed away by her, denied the continuation of their relationship but this... this was unexpected on a new level. All that ran through her mind was how she could have let this happen. If not for Vic who knows how far it would have gone. Or worse, if Richard had happened upon them in the act, whether she was fighting against it or not, what a disaster that could have been. She felt sick, light headed, her feet became overwhelmed with an intense urge to lead her to bathroom in order to allow her the option to ease the spiraling sensation in her stomach but her mind did not process her scrambled thoughts quick enough to even move at this point.

She could hear Vic, his voice soft, tender and reaching out to her and yet no comprehension breached the barrier of her skull. Her narrow mind replaying the scene she had just been brought out of in flickers of vibrations mixed with fleeting images of smeared color. The feeling of utter helplessness against Roy was one that made her the most uneasy. Those strong arms that once represented the warmth and companionship she yearned for had turned viscous in her mind. Why wouldn't he hear her when she pleaded for him to stop? Why didn't...?

"Kori!"

Her eyes flashed wide, her thoughts not entirely coming to a pause but slowing enough to approve of clear comprehension. It was now that she noticed Vic's muscular arms before her, his hands at her shoulders, and his comforting brown eyes narrowed in concern. "Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"

She shook her head. While capable of understanding his once fogged words the only amount of acknowledgement was that of small movements, no words forming passed her scrunched lips that remained in a harsh nibbling of her own teeth. She swallowed hard struggling for composure as Vic repeated his questions once more, another reluctant nod being her same response.

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Pulling into Vic's large driveway Richard paused, allowing a relieved exhale to leave him. His day had been hectic and nothing short of a hassle and he knew it was finally over. He couldn't deny the comfort he felt that he didn't have to hide his relationship with Kori at Vic's house on account that he already was aware of it. He glanced into the rear-view mirror, checking at his hair once more before that inevitable smile that developed over him.

Making his way out of the car he quickly made his way toward the narrow path of steps which led up to Vic's front door. His confidence suddenly faltered as he noticed Roy exit the house and stumble down the steps slightly.

Catching his balance Richard laughed. "You alright man?"

Noticing Richard now, Roy rolled his eyes. "I'm fine." He adjusted his balance, running his hands down the front of him to realign his attire. "Kori's in there waiting for you."

Richard nodded, taking note of the disgust Roy's words held. "Thanks." As Roy turned and walked away Richard observed his disheveled appearance and released a sigh, calling out to him. When Roy turned back to him, he shrugged innocently. "I've been meaning to talk to you about Kori."

Roy laughed. "Don't worry about it."

Running a hand through his hair Richard stepped toward him. There's no way he wanted to extend any amount of sympathy for falling for Kori to anyone but as Roy's friend he felt obligated to try. "I'm serious Roy. I realize you two have a past and I'm intruding on that but... I never wanted to upset you." He shrugged, hands in his pockets now. "You're a good friend and I just hope you know that I had no intentions of coming between you two. I just... I can't help the way I feel. You can understand that... right?"

The expression of distaste on Roy's features as he nodded lightly then turned away once more, made Richard sense somewhat uneasy but he didn't question it. In the end, he knew he was wrong. His guilt in knowing Roy still loved Kori was something he couldn't ignore but as he said, he couldn't help the way he felt and was too selfish to ignore that Kori felt the same about him.

Entering the house now, feeling a small weight off of his shoulder at the hopeful event that he had managed to smooth out his and Roy's friendship, he entered with high spirits. He paused upon seeing a somewhat distraught Kori standing in front of Vic who looked nonetheless horrified.

"Hey Kor." Richard said in a distracted tone, his eyes focused on Vic who's attention was stuck on Kori as she tried to pull herself together. "Whats wrong?"

"Nothing." Kori said, wide-eyed as she came to the realization that Richard was standing before them now. The arched brow on his features only confirmed to Kori that he did not believe her. Shaking her head she looked to Vic hesitantly, sending him a look of warning to remain silent. "Nothing."

Richard stood by the door in a brief moment of thought before dusting the snow that clung to his black coat to the ground, his eyes narrowing in suspicion as he discovered Kori fidgeting with the button upon her jeans. It was only as she realized Richard had a close eye on her that she became fairly nervous. It might sound ridiculous and even though she was furious with Roy, she sort of blamed herself. Obviously she was in no way responsible for Roy's actions, it was not as though she had led him on, but apart of her felt as though he was confused where they were concerned.

When they were together, as strange as it may seem, sex had always been a type of game between them and moments, much like the one previous to Richard's arrival would have been normal; aside from the obvious struggle from her and the pleas to desist coupled with his far too aggressive invasion of her space. No, when they were together, they would argue and coax one another into well, for lack of a better phrase... angry sex, which was always somewhat relaxing but this... this was different; this was wrong. And sure, she had no intentions of letting Roy get away with this but at the same time she was Kori and while Richard had managed to slowly pry her from her depression, her mind was constantly set on glaring down on her; her thoughts brought fault on herself always. Even if she hadn't blamed herself, she was certain telling Richard of this little event before she even had time to process it would only cause further conflict within their group of friends and that was the last thing she wanted.

Pulling herself together she made her way toward Richard and raised a hand to his hair with a forced giggle, plucking a few drops of powered snow from his tangled, ebony tresses.

"You're freezing." She said with an adorable pout, her hands rubbing up and down the length of his arms; the consistent trembling that rippled through her skin did not go unnoticed by him.

"I'm fine." He replied softly, his eyes never leaving Vic as he drew Kori in for a kiss.

It was far too clear something was going on that he was not apart of and he knew Vic would be his only loophole to finding out without upsetting Kori by asking her directly. The only thing that came to mind was that Kori could have been speaking to Vic about Komi, or her parents, or... anything at this point really. In the end he was still unaware of a lot of her past and was somewhat hesitant to question her about it, at least not when their relationship was still new.

"Uh..." Vic muttered in an awkward tone. There were many aspects to consider in this instant. One, Vic was still adjusting to the fact Kori and Richard were technically an item now. Two, well, Roy had basically tried to force himself on his best friend. Three, Damn Kori was trying to let him get away with it and Vic was finding it fairly difficult to hold his tongue at the moment. "Well,... I ordered a pizza so..."

Ugh, the heaviness in the air was apparent to everyone, each from their own perspectives. Vic, trying to allow his mind enough time to catch up with the insanity of the night which progressed at an obnoxious speed and Richard trying to intercept the signals of warning sent back and forth between Kori and Vic, and Kori... well, she was trying to hold composure, which seemed fairly simple the moment her hand intertwined with Richards.

She pulled him into the living room, sitting beside him on one of the large leather couches, her knees cuddling up to his lap. Sure, she was still feeling slightly shaken and never more thankful for her decision to move in with Vic, but Richard's mere presence was quickly returning her composure, which was her main concern at the moment.

"How...uh... how was your..." she paused shaking her head, her eyes clasped shut and a hand over her forehead, mentally scolding herself for the inability to sound calm.

"Kori... whats bothering you?" Richard finally asked, the trembling of her hand within his becoming too hard to ignore.

She released a fake laugh, but as her eyes met his which drew more concern into her then she could handle she caved in. Leaning forward she rest her head against his chest, curling her body into his lap like a frightened child. She wanted to feel loved, to feel safe and there was nothing in this world that could compare to the intense amount of security she felt then being in his arms.

"I think I just need some sleep." She inhaled deeply, looking up into his worrisome sapphires. She didn't want to send him away but she knew her behavior was only arising suspicion in him. "Would you be completely disappointed if I postponed tonight?"

Richard hesitated, of course he would especially when she was acting so distant. "No... of course not." He stood, her still in his arms before he settled her gently upon her feet. Swallowing hard against his urge to persuade her to allow him to remain with her he cupped her cheek, a sweet smile sent down to her. "Can I call you in the morning?"

Kori bit at the inside of her cheek once more, her strength to suppress the tears that threatened to fall becoming harder to withstand. "Absolutely. I have big plans for us."

This comment seemed to calm his hesitation, and as he kissed her gently upon the lips, lingering in her captivated touch before pulling away, he said, "I'm looking forward to it."

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"Dr. Roth to the waiting room." A loud-speaker echoed off the never soulless hospital walls.

Rolling her eyes Rachel discarded her styro-foam coffee cup to the table beside her and slowly made her way to the waiting room. She was certain it would find a previous patient or agonizingly painful sight of a recently past patience family ready to question her about the lost life of their loved one, so when she stared back at Kori her mind shook blank for a moment.

It was as Kori smiled at her that Rachel came to the realization that her tired mind was not in fact playing tricks on her and she approached Kori with narrowed eyes. She looked awful, really she did. Her normally radiant scarlet hair was matted and tangled, forced into a tight, high bun, and Rachel could tell she had been crying, for what reason she wasn't sure, but she hoped Richard had nothing to do with it.

"Whats up?" She asked carelessly, a hint of suspicion in her voice as she stuffed her hands in her white coats' pockets.

Kori swallowed hard, she hadn't planned on coming here but if anything was certain, regardless of how betrayed Rachel would feel once the reality of her and Richard's relationship became realized, she needed her in this instant.

"I uh..." She paused, sniffling slightly as her eyes scanned the room around them nervously. "I just... I really needed to see you." Lifting her left hand and revealing a small bag of food she forced a smile. "I brought gifts."

It didn't matter now what Kori had to say, the extent of any amount of horrible news she could deliver went unacknowledged at the sight of food. Taking the bag Rachel's pale features stretched in a half-smile before she turned away. "Follow me."

They walked for a long while before stopping in one of the many, confusing hallways which brought yet another blinding white room. Closing the door behind them Kori sat at a table across from Rachel, who was far too eager to dip into the food she had brought.

Clearing her throat, Kori said, "Look, I... I don't want to put this on you at work but... I just... I'm sort of dealing with something that I don't really know how to handle."

Rachel shrugged, again... her mind was hardly present in this conversation. Taking a large bite of the greasy breakfast sandwich she shut her bloodshot violet eyes in relief. "It's five-thirty in the morning..." she swallowed the food with a satisfied grunt, her eyes then narrowing over Kori. "... what ever this is it must really be bothering you so... don't sugar coat it... just tell me."

These were instances when Kori's nerves were never more dominant. Of course she had come here at her own will, determined to seek some sort of comfort but this was much more difficult when Rachel was the one she was turning to for help. Rachel was never really trying to be rude or mean, she was honest, didn't have time for the bullshit, Kori actually envied her for these very reasons. Wouldn't it be a wondrous thing... to not care about the details, to not worry about judgement, to be able to get straight to the point without stammering ridiculously, not become consumed by nerves, to just... not care? Whether you agree or not is irrelevant , for this is how Kori truly felt. She felt crippled by her emotions and the extent they went to devour any amount of decorum she could expect for herself. As it were she had gotten zero amount of sleep, her mind wide awake and sick at the thought of Roy but that's why she was here. Whether she managed to speak about what happened or not, it didn't matter, she just had to get out of her own head for a while.

"Come Kor, what the fuck...?" Rachel sighed. "I've got like five minutes to eat and get back to work so... as much as I know you expect me to be sympathetic here... just get to the point."

"Of course, no... I'm sorry and thank you for taking the time to see me. I..."

"Dammit Kori!" Rachel said with a curt exhale, her hands rubbing at the napkin within her hands. "I don't have time. So stop the bullshit. It's just me so there's no need to pretend as though I would ever turn you away. Just..." her teeth were grinding impatiently, her eyes focused on her burger once more. "Just fucking speak."

She took one last deep inhale. "I... last night... Roy sort of did something that..."

Laughter made her fall quiet, and the sight of Rachel struggling to not choke on her food was quite a sight to see. Feeling slightly offended Kori placed her hands on her hips. "And what the hell is so funny?"

"I'm sorry. "Rachel placed a hand over her mouth to shield the sight of the ground food within her mouth as she tried to suppress another laugh. "I just... I was wondering if the little bitch had it in him." She wiped at her mouth then released her sandwich to the table, helping herself to her coffee to which she had left behind previous to Kori's arrival. "So he finally made a move?" Kori nodded, a heavy sigh escaping her. The look in her vulnerable eyes was one Rachel had seen before, long ago but would never have forgotten it. Her anger suddenly sparked at this realization. "What the fuck did he do?"

Kori hesitated, tears waging a war against her frail eyelids, threatening to fall. She placed the back of her hand over her mouth and shut her eyes, a small sniffle escaping her. "I can't even say that I don't understand why he did what he did. I mean... he and I... it's just..." She cleared her throat against the inconsistent sturdiness in her voice. "I can see why he would think that that was okay but..." she shook her head, her drowning eyes focusing on Rachel desperately. "... but it wasn't. And a part of me thinks he knows it was wrong or... I just don't know what to think or how to react. For the past several hours I've just been replaying everything in my head, queasy against the remembrance of his touch, and I... I haven't been able to..." She lowered her head into her hands, feeling utterly defeated. Her shoulders perked in emotion. "I don't know how to deal with this."

The disheveled and otherwise distraught sight of Kori was enough to invoke more than the needed amount of rage within her. Clenching her fists at the side of the table she spoke through grinding teeth. "What... the fuck... did he do?"

"I don't... he just..." another whimper escaped her, more at the difficulty she had forming words then at the actual event of Roy's aggressive behavior. "I can't even say I didn't have it coming." Rachel rolled her eyes, coming to the realization that Kori had no actual intentions of divulging her issues with Roy, only that she sought companionship. Which was true, Kori wanted nothing more than for Rachel to figuratively or even literally smack her across the face and tell her to suck it up and stop being so emotional, now if only Kori could actually see that out of all times, right now she deserved to be upset. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have bothered you at work."

"Kori..." Rachel said, her voice somewhat deflated in emotion.

Kori stood, "I should go."

"What did you want to tell me?"

Kori paused, a thought crossing her mind. She had in fact come to see Rachel for more than one purpose. Clearing her throat, she stared down at her feet. "Actually, there's something I wanted to tell you and... and I wanted you to hear it from me before..."

Anger twitched at her demeanor now. Narrowing her eyes, Rachel said, "If this is about Dick..."

"It is and..."

"No...no, no, no."

"If you would just listen for one second."

"No!" Rachel shouted. She took to her feet, her hands clenched into fists violently at her sides. "You and Dick can't be anything other than friends Kori. I mean it."

"Yes but..." Kori began, her thin index finger raising innocently to interject.

"No."

Kori pondered her options at this moment for a short while before coming to the conclusion that Rachel could not handle the truth about her and Richard, so she opted for a change in direction of the conversation. "I wasn't going to say that." This managed to silence Rachel, that vein in her neck and her quivering brow calming. "I just... I wanted to ask you about something."

Rachel's stiffened posture relaxed slightly and she returned to her seat. "Fine,... what is it?"

"Well..." Kori hesitated contemplating the best way to ask this question. "I just... I spoke with Richard yesterday and he... its just... today is Christmas eve and I wanted to do something special with him."

"Why?"

Oh, perhaps that wasn't the best way to avoid suspicion. "Uh,... well, its sort of my way of thanking him for all the times he's been there for me, helping me with Komi's death and everything. I just want him to know that I appreciate his efforts and that they do not go on unnoticed."

Rachel lingered in a judgmental glare before inhaling deeply, truly buying into the innocence on Kori's features. "Alright... what it is?"

Kori smiled, proud of her ability to seem casual about the subject at hand. "Well, he told me about..." she hesitated, a more endearing curve of her lips taking form, her cheeks at a blush now as she twirled a finger through her hair. "... he mentioned that when he was younger he and his parents would visit a certain fair ground in town and..."

"Wait..." Rachel said, pure shock and disbelief rushing her veins. Her eyes narrowed, her left fist clenched and pressed against her mouth. "He... he actually,... I mean... Wait, what exactly did he say?"

Kori hesitated. Had she said something wrong? Something she shouldn't have? "Uh... he mentioned that on Christmas morning his mother would wake him and..." She paused, becoming uneasy against the aggravated expression that remained firm upon Rachel's features. "Never mind. Perhaps I misunderstood. I was just curious as to whether you knew which fair it was or..."

"Yea..." She replied breathlessly. This... this was the moment her mind shook without understanding, her barriers crumbling against all she thought she knew. If she was certain about one thing it was that Richard never spoke of his parents to anyone, not even her. For him to have offered information even as simple as a past memory this was something too unfathomable. What ever reservations she had against Kori and Richard's relationship would obviously need some amount of prolonged reevaluation because this, to her, was just unpredictable. "I just... I don't think he would..." she laughed to herself, more at her loss of words then about what she was saying. "Umm... I've tried to get him to return to the fair many times over the years, it just upsets him. He never makes it passed the front gate." As Kori nodded reluctantly, Rachel inhaled deeply, a thought crossing her mind. "Although..." she cleared her throat as Kori turned back to her. "... perhaps if you took him then he might actually enjoy himself." Grabbing her phone she gave off another laugh. "I'll text you the details and just... just tell me what he says alright?"

Kori nodded once more. "Sure... thanks Rae."

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**


	13. Awkward

**Chapter Thirteen: Awkward**

A hard knock on the front door brought Vic out of his never more important, to him at least, concentration as he leaned over the stove that morning, his mind previously entertained with the culinary 'masterpiece', as he would refer to it as, he was about to prepare. The knock sounded once more before Vic, cursing beneath his breath, stepped out of the kitchen and to the door.

"Dick?" He said, as he pulled the door open, revealing his clearly distraught friend. A hand rest at the back of his neck now, the obvious reality being that he was well aware that Kori had slipped out earlier this morning and this situation, the one as of now which left him and Richard alone, only meant conversation with him would be less about one another and more focused on hinting toward the events of last night and the far too clear distress Kori had been in; if not that, it would draw attention to the reality that these two hadn't officially discussed the turn of events which brought Vic into being the only one aware of his two friends' otherwise 'forbidden' relationship. Clearing his throat he moved away from the door, trying his all to keep some amount of decency and casualness in his voice in order to mask the awkward vibe pumping through his veins. "Come in."

Richard gave a light nod; his morning had been met with one disappointment after the other, which only reflected in his stiff, tense posture. Perhaps this state of mind he was submerged in had a small amount of relation to the fact he hadn't slept well, actually he hadn't slept at all but with good reason. His mind had taken the night to, involuntarily, dominate his own free will. It spun, spiraled, hurricane in a relentless stream of otherwise undesired thoughts of the endless litany of possibilities that had coaxed Kori into sending him away the night before. In the end, her intentions of sending him away could have been innocent to say the least, but it simply didn't seem that way. He couldn't put it into words but there was something bothering her in which his mind refused to ignore; this reality bringing him to remain uneasy until he could fix what was wrong.

Regardless of the insanity and chaos that surged through his thoughts they fell quiet as he followed Vic into the kitchen silently, his eyes immediately wandering in search of Kori.

"She's not here." Vic said plainly, his back turned to Richard now as he returned to the stove. "She left early this morning."

"Do you..." How could he say this without initiating concern within Vic that may or may not be necessary? He was almost certain he had done nothing, himself, to upset Kori but if he had without noticing, it would be Vic that was most likely with an insight. "Do you know what's going on with her?" He scratched at his brow, the words forming passed his lips were not as well thought out as he would have liked, but at this point desperation was the outcome of his straight forward questioning and he was too disrupted in thought to allow it to bother him. "I mean... is there something I did wrong because she wont even answer my calls?"

This threw Vic off momentarily. Sure, Kori was rightfully feeling too vulnerable after her altercation with Roy but after all the praise she had given Richard on helping her through difficult and emotional situations he had assumed she would have gone to him with this. Apparently not. He avoided looking at Richard as he spoke, and gave a brief moment of thought among himself in order to spare as little detail as necessary. "Look, I don't really know..."

An awkward silence which had never before existed between them took to life. It wasn't that either necessarily felt at odds with one another just uneasy with the obvious, highly significant, detail that Richard was involved with Vic's best friend. Now, it would be too much to say Vic was angry with Richard for beginning a relationship beyond the borders of friendship with Kori but he sure as hell was uneasy about it, and if it were up to him, Kori's feelings set aside, he would never have condoned it. And Richard, of course he didn't feel any amount of shame for pursuing Kori but he was not so selfish that he couldn't understand the hesitance Vic sported as of now. It was just something that had to be accustomed to, the very transition of such a coupling finally taking effect in this moment.

"So..." Vic began, his voice not even trying to hide the hint of betrayal he felt toward Richard. "I spoke with Kori about the whole..." It was now that he passed an indifferent glance to Richard who currently remained deep in thought, his expression blank; eyes tossing back and forth at the kitchen tile beneath their feet. "... ya know."

Richard sighed, rolling his eyes to himself. In truth he had no patience for this. He finally had Kori and no one was going to make him feel guilty for it but again... he understood. "And?"

Vic's gaze hardened and he took one step toward an unflinching Richard who seemed only partially involved in this conversation. Realizing Vic's approach, he stood his ground fearlessly, trying not to seem so defensive and yet just as equally not careless for his friends feelings. Richards eyes narrowed as Vic directed an aggressive finger out at him, his voice finding a more stern tone. "I'm only going to say this once... you hurt her and I'll kill you."

Wait... That's it? No quarrel? No displays of violent retaliation inflicted by feelings of betrayal? Richard's eyes narrowed even further, taking a second to overlook the overly confident demeanor of his friend standing in front of him in expectant silence. Clearing his throat he brought his voice to a more neutral tone. "Okay."

Both stood, two friends studying the severity of one another's expressions in this instant; both searching for any amount of lingering questions or concerns that could possibly still remain.

Then, like a flip of a switch, that rough, impenetrable exterior around Vic softened and a small chuckle of obvious relief sounded. Vic shook his head, prolonging his laugh and tossed an arm around Richard's shoulder; a more friendly demeanor striking him now. "Just so we're clear. When shit hits the fan and everyone does learn about you two being together..." he backed away, returning to the stove with another laugh. "I know nothing."

"Fair enough."

Both fell silent at the sound of a key thrust into the front door, a loud cranking as it unlocked followed by a frustrated whimper that belonged to none other than Kori herself. She could hear Vic busy in the kitchen but was not having the best of luck this morning so she quickly made her way into the livingroom tossing herself face down into the couch without even bothering to notice where he was exactly.

"You alright?" Came Vic's voice.

Another growl of frustration surfaced from her in response. "I am having the _worst_ day of my life." She sighed, a perfectly definable shake in her voice. "I visited Rachel this morning at the hospital and she... well, she was such a bitch." Vic and Richard exchanged small humor induced glances, before making their way to the living room silently, finding Kori burying her face into one of the throw pillows. "Then... then I go into town for coffee and on my way there one of the tires on my car went flat. I tried calling you but my phone decided right then was the perfect opportunity to die which royally just pissed me off. I had to hail a cab which took forever with the impatient assholes that live in Gotham. It's been snowing all morning, I'm freezing cold, I'm hungry, and tired, and more importantly..." her voice squealed in more of a childlike whine now. " I can't help but think that none of this would have happened had I not sent Richard away last night." A small sniffle sounded from her exhausted mind. Ugh, just the thought of what he must be doing at this moment, what he must be thinking... it was enough to aggravate her mind into further frustration. "I mean he must think I am such a bitch. And I know for a fact I would not be feeling this way if he were here. I would probably be eating pancakes and laughing about how much fun today was going to be but no... " Richard and Vic covered a hand over their mouth's with silent laughs as Kori placed both hands over the back of her head, her feet kicking at the edge of the couch in a small fit. "I had to go and tell him I needed sleep, sleep I didn't even get." Her body scrunched into the couch more. "I mean he probably thinks I'm such a crazy mess which ..." First a mental breakdown... cue rambling..."Which I guess is partially true but I can't bring myself to call him because I don't really know what he would say, or what I would even say to explain myself or..."

"Kor..." Vic said with a laugh, almost feeling sad for her inability to realize Richard was standing only a few feet from her. As she interrupted him once more, he and Richard shared small smiles before listening.

"Just listen to me Vic, please let me vent." She sighed, burying her head further into the pillow. "Because its frustrating. I know the longer I wait to call him the more awkward things are going to be and... and what if he doesn't want me to call him? What if..."

"Kor..."

"I just ... this is officially the worst Christmas eve ever." It was now that she lifted her body into a slouched seated position within the center of the couch, her eyes never lifting passed the purse that previously slung itself over her left shoulder. She hung her head heavily as she dove her hands into the bag and pulled her dead phone from its contents, the overall hysterics she was in was becoming far too much for Richard. She was adorable when she felt defeated by such insignificant aspects of her life and yet he was just about through admiring her distress in hopes of conjuring that smile of hers in which he had grown so fond of. "I don't even know where my car is at this point and..."

"I think I can probably help you with that." Kori's mind froze at Richard's voice. Her body refusing to move, but it was clear to him that his presence had finally become realized. He gave a light shrug, his words scattered among unsuppressed laughter; laughter brought on by nothing other than the confirmation her own words gave in that she was not the least bit upset with him. "Now... chances are I can probably fix almost everything that's wrong with this day so far although..." a small chuckle escaped him as he ran a hand through his hair. "...as far as Rachel being a bitch... " He rolled his eyes to himself, the mere thought of Rachel revived a small amount of annoyance in his mind. "...that's something no one can change."

A giggle... an ever so relived giggle vibrated against her teeth, bringing silence all around her now. She turned her head, eyes taking no hesitation to find Richards; the reaction of such eye contact made her immediately melt in his crystallized ocean gaze that set down on her ever so concerned. Her chest inhaled deeply, just the sight of him standing before her was enough to calm her stressed mind; forget about the awkwardness and sheer embarrassment she would normally feel at such a display of her utter helplessness on account of being unaware of his presence as she threw a fit previously. More important than her own feelings, her mind latched on to one question. "You're... not upset with me?"

His smile grew wider. God, did he have a weakness for her when her soft lips were in an adorable pout, her eyes cast downward in utter helplessness, sending pools of radiant emerald hues in a twinkling eagerness for his response. "No... of course not."

She pondered her thoughts for a few seconds, allowing her nerves the chance to surface and bring forth undesired hesitation before she quickly made her way toward him, tossing her arms around his neck. It was the instant his touch met hers that she was entirely lost in all that he represented in her mind. She jumped up into his arms without question, her ankles locking around his waist and lips connecting with his instantly; desperate for his kiss. He hesitated briefly, his body stumbling back slightly at the force of her rushed presence, but he quickly recovered, returning the intense amount of passion her lips adored against his.

"Alright... alright, that's enough." Vic said after a few moments of witnessing their inability to restrain such affection in front of him. He rolled his eyes as Richard pulled away but it would be Kori as she placed her hands on either sides of his face, kissing at him in adorable pecks now to which Richard's muffled laughter sounded; their affection hardly over just yet. "Ugh... come on, we need to get this day going. Some of us are still adjusting to the whole relationship status between you two."

"Pancakes?" Richard said with a smile to which Kori gave an adorable bobbing nod. Releasing her to her feet Richard led her toward the kitchen. "Since you are having a horrible day," She released an adorable squeal of excitement as he turned to her, hands on her waist as he lifted her small frame with ease from the ground and placed her upon one of the kitchen counters. "I'll make the pancakes myself but next time..." He looked to her with a teasing brow arched. "... it's all you."

Kori smiled to herself, finding everything just... easier when he was present.

"Lets turn this Christmas eve around!" Cheered Vic as he entered the kitchen behind Richard and both began concocting a beautiful breakfast while Kori remained in constant observation of the two,watching curiously, and giggling at the random kisses Richard would give her as he passed her way mid cooking.

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**

"Ugh...I am so full." Kori whined, a hand over her stomach and her shoulders slouched back into her chair. "That was delicious."

"So..." Vic said as they all three exhaled heavily within the large dining room, all adjusting to the heaviness of their meal they had devoured. His eyes scanned over the two blushing lovebirds and sighed. "What are our plans for today?"

Both Kori and Richard tried to speak at the same time, falling silent at the same time as well, and looked to one another with repetitive blushes of cheeks; the sight alone brought yet another roll of the eyes from Vic.

"Well..." Vic said, he was happy for them and yet this was never more a 'third wheel' scenario for him then he would have liked. "I expect to have sometime with both of you today but I do actually have a previous engagement with Karen so..."

"When is that?" Kori asked.

"Later in the evening."

"That's actually perfect." Richard began, his eyes focused on Kori now. The nervousness that developed over him was one he could easily have gone without. Clearing his throat, he said, "There's uh... there's actually this event tonight... sort of a traditional Wayne Family gathering... thing; its more about politics then anything but..." He shook his head, when was this shyness and inability to seem composed ever going to end? He already got the girl, so why was his brain still unable to weave fluid thought when he was around her? Running a hand through his hair he smiled. "It's a formal event and I don't really have the option to miss it so I was wondering if you'd... you know, if you would..." He rubbed a hand at the back of his neck now, his mind noticing a slight warmth that rose in the room but was far too aware that he was the only one affected by it. "... give me the honor of bringing you as my date?"

"Aww, isn't that sweet." Vic laughed with a small taunt before he stood, bringing his now empty plate into the kitchen and giving them privacy.

Richard rolled his eyes but his nervousness returned as he noticed Kori's expression turn hesitant, the realization in turn causing him to put an imaginary wall up now, around his ego. "You don't... you don't have to go but..."

"No it's not that I don't want to it's just..." She sighed. How was she going to put this in terms without hurting his feelings? She focused on the trembling fingers of hers that moved rapidly within her lap now. "Are you sure you really want to bring _me_? I mean, it sounds like a very _public_ event."

Richard paused in thought, yea... he knew that so what was he missing? "Well,... yea it is." He shook his head, brows narrowing in confusion. "Is that a problem?"

She bit at her bottom lip. Yes... definitely; the back of her mind was screaming. "Uh... well, you tell me?"

He hesitated trying to find meaning in her words but falling short once more he resulted into studying her features for such an explanation as to understand her behavior. Once again he found nothing but avoiding eyes and distant demeanor that shook before him in consumed nerves. "I... I don't understand."

"It's just..." Richards pleading, almost hurt, eyes pierced at her confidence to give forth any explanation. Her chest heaved as she shut her eyes. "... you're... well, you're _you_."

"What?"

"And..." she began to ramble now, the increase of her stressed heartbeat only feeding her nerves and the raised brow Richard arched only heightened this feeling even more. ".. and you're not just _you_, Richard,... you're _him_." Wait... this was getting confusing now. "And _he_..." she rolled her eyes, fully aware she was inexplicably tongue twisted and speaking far too quickly to really expect him to comprehend what she was saying, but was otherwise hoping this made a little bit of sense. "... he doesn't exactly coincide with people like _me_." She began to mumble now. "Well, maybe the old me but that was then, and I'm me _now_ who's not... "

"Kori?"

"You're Dick Grayson." She said matter of factly, her eyes wide, chest falling in one last deep exhale, as if any of what she had brought to his attention would change his mind on the subject.

With an unsure laugh he nodded. "Yea... I am."

He fell further into confusion as she lowered her head into her hands with a small whimper. "But that's... a lot to take in. It's difficult because... when I'm with you, everything is perfect and you're just Richard but..." Oh, now he was understanding where she was going with this... great; the whole reputation thing he couldn't seem to shake from his life. "... I'm just afraid to meet this millionaire, ladies man Dick Grayson." She shrugged, staring back at him now, her brows burrowing in an unsure manner. "He's intimidating to say the least."

"So... you mean to tell me, that while this whole time I thought you and I were finally in a relationship you had no intentions of actually going public about this? What are you _ashamed_ to be seen with me?"

This made him laugh, he was not used to women trying to hide the fact that they had captured his attention so this was something he wasn't really taking seriously... for now, which, of course, only added to Kori's frustration. "No... I'm only saying that you shouldn't _want_ to be with someone like me. I have this horrible, depressing past that no one likes to hear about and what do you think will happen when the world finds out your with ... well, _me_?"

"Who cares what other people think?" Alright, now he was beginning to become concerned.

"I know... I know it's just..." She buried her head into her hands again. "It's a lot to take in."

"Look, tonight, we wont be affectionate in front of others. If you're not ready to be open about all of this then I can understand. I realize how blinding the limelight can be so..." he smiled. "We'll go as friends." It was as her head lifted and gave him a hesitant smile that his expression turned more mischievous and he placed a hand over hers. "Just so long as I get the girl at the end of the night."

Kori giggled, leaning toward him in her seat with a kiss. "I'll think about it."

"So that's a yes?"

She smiled. "Yes."

**TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT**

Richard arrived at the event in anticipation to see Kori. He knew she was nervous about tonight and he wanted to make sure everything went perfect for her. Some would think it might have just been easier to not invite her and endure the night alone and then visit her because in the end this wasn't just the fact that she would be here, even as friends it would get the public talking and that was never a pleasant experience for him. He was a more private type of person, the fame attached to his name was more a nuisance then anything but long ago he had learned to accept it and move on and in certain instances even manipulate it but things were different now; he was different.

Entering the over the top luxurious scenery around him, he withdrew a heavy exhale, his eyes scanning rapidly over the crowd never more frustrated that she had insisted they arrive separately. Sure he understood why; she said it was a less obvious draw of attention to the fact hey were more then friends... but still. Kori said she would be here by eight and while it was still too early for this he wanted to ensure there was never a moment upon her arrival that she felt out of place or nervous. This, in reality, was his first time being anxious and excited at an event Bruce insisted his presence at and it was only to see and be seen with Kori. He would be lying if he wasn't secretly anxious to announce to the world that she was his but regardless he needed to hold composure and remember which only made it more difficult to keep in mind that tonight they were not to be affectionate in the public eye; a fact he was certain would be more difficult to live up to once he saw her.

"Dick... Grayson..." Came that all too familiar voice which, over the years, had brought more annoyance in relation to its owner then necessary.

Richard turned with a small sigh, his eyes still scanning the room in a type of concentrated daze. "Wally West... I should have known you'd be roped into this event as well."

Wally's smile directed itself in a flirtatious zone to a passing woman, who merely scoffed at his attempt to assert any interest; his reputation may not have been as much common knowledge as Richard's but it was not to be said it was unheard of. "So... Christmas eve... here we are again. Just a couple of young playboys in the prime of our lives..." his arrogant laugh protruded out into the boisterous crowd. "Which of these lucky young ladies will be catching your eye tonight?"

Richard rolled his eyes at the sight of Wally's brows moving in an overly confident wave. Running a hand down the length of his black tie he turned toward the small bar within the corner of the room. "I think I'll need a drink for this conversation."

An aggravated growl from Wally followed Richard as the two made their way through the crowd. "Don't tell me you're still beat up about Babs?"

"Yea... I may look fine on the outside..." he gave a sarcastic chuckle, a hand over his heart. "... but on the inside I'm _crying_ like a baby."

"So... what's with the hesitation?" Wally asked with a roll of his eyes as he leaned an arm into the bar counter top.

"I have a hot date tonight."

This intrigued Wally's attention. "And _who_ is that? You don't invite... " He paused to acknowledge the bartender who placed two glasses of bourbon before them now. "... thank you..." lifting the glass to his lips, he returned his attention to Richard, who suddenly seemed eager in this moment; a fact which had gone unnoticed by Wally as he was too interested in the prey of women lurking. "... you never invite anyone to these things so who is this special guest?"

A smirk formed before Richard had the chance to mask his vulnerability where Kori was concerned, and as he muttered her name casually he pressed the brim of his glass to his lips and downed the entirety of his drink. The intense amount of satisfaction that occurred within him by the horrified, uneasy expression that formed over Wally in result to his words, was one that made it entirely too difficult for Richard to suppress his laughter.

"You're _joking_ right?" Wally asked hesitantly, his wide-eyed expression never wavering.

Before another word could be spoken, a new face, at least for us, surfaced from the crowd; her gaze determined to be noticed by one fairly reputable and newly thought to be single playboy.

"_Dick_ Grayson..." her screech of a voice brought a jolt to both Wally and Richard as they came to realize who was standing at their side now. "Mmmm, it has been some time since you've been _available_."

Wally's roll of the eyes only magnified the tension that hung around the small group now as Richard sighed heavily. "Katrina..." He cleared his throat, the blonde biting at the corner of her bottom lip, her eyes seductively lingering over him. "... it's... nice to see you."

"No... it really isn't." Wally laughed, a daggering glare being directed at him from the blond. He growled in annoyance and shoved Richard at his shoulder. "Why pretend as though she doesn't drive you insane like she does everyone else? It's not like her father and Bruce are under contract still."

"It's _Kitten_, asshole." Her irritation and overall disdain for Wally trying to be held back in the presence of Richard. Pausing, eyes returning to that beautiful sight of Richard to which she found irresistible, she inhaled deeply and discarded her hate for Wally and smiled. "So... I would _love_ it if you and I could..."

"Oh... no," Richard interrupted. "I said it was nice to see you to be nice, not because anything was going to happen between us. I told you once before, well, a million times before and... I don't know how else to say it but... I'm not interested."

A crazed laugh fumed from Katrina, her teeth crunched down against one another in a fairly unpleasant smile. "Dickie... lets not pretend as though nothing has ever happened between us." She leaned her body closer to his, an acrylic nail teasing at his shoulder as she traced an imaginary line down the length of his arm. "I remember far too clearly a time when you and I were..."

"Stop... just stop." Wally laughed, becoming far too annoyed with the vibe this women from Richard's playboy past was spreading. "Seriously, this is almost embarrassing." As Katrina opened her mouth to object, he continued. ""I still can't believe you invited Kori here." Wally laughed, his mind entirely convinced that Kori was too smart to fall prey to Richard's ploys. "Rachel's gonna freak."

"Rachel doesn't need to know." Richard said in a testing tone, his eyes narrowed in warning. "As it is, she's already late so... " he shrugged, assuming he would spend the evening in a disappointed and drunken stupor. "I doubt she's even going to show."

"Well..." The high pitch and drawn out word caught Richard's attention and he immediately followed the direction of Wally's gaze. "... something tells me someone else found her before you could."

It was now that Wally, without Richard's knowledge, tuned into his reaction; studying the way he saw Kori, and if he was being honest, he had never seen that look on Richard before. Richard's eyes went wide, his throat dry the moment Kori's figure came into view. She wore black heels that were the only sign of color and coverage before her long legs stretched up in an undeniably seductive crawl of her tanned flesh before the dark blue, skin-tight dress she wore cut off at the upper thigh. It wasn't as revealing as the vision contorted within the confines of Richard s mind; in reality it was a beautiful, highly appropriate dress for this particular evening, but that didn't mean his mind hadn't drawn it out differently.

It was a long pause that he took, his eyes scanning over every detail of Kori's appearance, more than once, before he realized the truth in Wally's previous statement. No, Kori wasn't alone, in fact she was presently being swayed by the likes of one of the many playboys that crept within the room, their true identities masked by the fancy clothing and overall environment they remained in.

Without a second longer of pause Richard made his way toward her, her beauty only heightening with each step. He might have been at a momentary loss of words as a result of the intense emotion that pricked at his confidence in this moment, but it was as the conversation Kori was involved in came within ears range that his jealousy began to spark.

"Trey." Richard said, hinting more toward the impatience he felt at the closeness this Trey character tried to force upon a casually receding Kori.

"Dick? How ya been man?"

"Richard." Kori said in relief. Her hand wanting to reach out to his but decided against it; afterall they were meant to be just friends in public for now. Which was her decision so she shouldn't have an issue with it should she? Well, she had been around him less than ten seconds and was already regretting it.

To her surprise Richard wasted no time in placing a possessive arm around her waist, drawing her body closer to his. It was now that she noticed the devious smirk he sported back at Trey, a fact that made her smile.

"I've been good Trey. I see you met Kori..." It was now that she noticed his jaw tighten, his grip more defensive around her now. "... my _girlfriend_."

A double take, that's all she could muster within this instant. Words? A reaction beyond her wide-eyes...? Nothing. Was she upset at this? Surprisingly not. She was certain he had merely been caught up in the moment and the fact they had agreed to remain distant, affection wise, fell from acknowledgement but that isn't what her mind had focused on. No, her mind was flashing blank, the only recognizable thought was one word in which he had never actually said before. Girlfriend? Whew, that was as equally unexpected as it was amazing to hear. Neither had actually labeled their shift in relationship as anything but he had nearly confirmed her questionable thoughts that passed through her now and again over this subject. What made this situation even more beautiful to her was that as she looked up at Richard, it seemed as though he had not even realized what he had said, if he had, which he did but she wasn't sure of this fact, he was being far too casual about it; as if it were already fact, something he was loyal to.

There was a look of annoyance mixed with understanding at his words, Trey's eyes wandering over Kori again with a sigh. "Yes... yes I did." He gave Richard a roll of his eyes, the glare that occurred between them was meant to relay nothing aside from a boundary being realized and otherwise demanded to be respected. "I should have known you'd have dibs on the most beautiful girl here."

Kori's eyes narrowed at his forwardness, Richard's jaw tightened in bit back jealousy and protectiveness that crept more intensely in his veins, and Trey chuckled instantly separating himself from the two.

"You okay?" Richard asked, his body facing Kori now as her blank expression became realized.

Kori bit at her lip, was she? It certainly didn't feel as though she was, the undefined emotion sharpening as her eyes moved over the people beside them who had clearly begun to stare. She brought her voice to a whisper, her head leaning toward his slightly. "I couldn't find you for the longest time. I was having a little bit of a panic attack."

Her words seemed to go unrecognized as he ran the back of his hand against her soft skin. "You look absolutely breathtaking you know that?" His urge to kiss her becoming nothing more than an internal battle against his own ability to remain disciplined over his actions.

Kori's eyes narrowed, her mind pulling away from the insecurities that rushed her in relation to the judgmental gawking and looked up to Richard now. His voice as it delivered those words to her had never sounded so passionate, so lost in thought. Inhaling deeply Kori lingered in a frozen gaze into his icy blues which had rendered her entirely impervious to movement.

A small blush and a bashful side smile made an appearance on his features as he adored her innocent trance. He brought a hand against her jawline, a thumb still doting upon her cheek as he continued to fight against his desire to kiss her. "You have no idea how happy I am that you're here."

She bit at her lip, the blush that consumed her was almost more intense than the insufferable trembling in her limbs. "Ummm,..."

She welcomed the presence of his hand on her waist now as he pulled her toward him, his voice lowered in a husk display of sheer desire, his electric eyes never more her addiction. Her own eyes could hardly manage to will herself into breaking their entrancing eye contact, and when she did matters only worsened, her composure never more at stake, for he had that signature smirk at play, her breath instantly hitching. Any problem plaguing her mind had fallen quiet, her issues and uncomfortability with Roy... ha, Roy who? At this point all she could see was Richard, and that was enough for her.

"Something on your mind sweetheart?" His voice was dripping with seductiveness, knowing far too well she was speechless in this moment, and nonetheless just as drawn into him as he felt to her.

"Shit..." she muttered beneath her breath, his chuckle only adding to her embarrassment. She passed a glance beside her to the consistently interested eyes. "I... I need another drink."

Richard took her hand now, his body dipping slightly as he lowered his lips to the back of her hand, bestowing a darling kiss; his touch instantly arising even more intense emotion in her. To say this night would be easy... to say it wouldn't be a struggle not to simply latch her arms around him... that would be the understatement of the year.

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"So..." Kori whispered, her body leaning toward Richard. It had only been an hour that had passed and while she had forced herself to be disciplined in her drinking, the amount of champagne she had consumed was finally beginning to calm her and she took comfort in this. "Any regrets inviting me tonight?"

His eyes narrowed in thought. "That depends..." he brought his hands out at his sides with a defenseless shrug. "How am I doin'? Is Dick Grayson all that bad?"

She shook her head, finding him never more adorable then in this instant. "No... I suppose he had fair warning to be on his best behavior though." She paused allowing a laugh to pursue as he sighed in defeat. "Although... I did discover some rather interesting news about him."

His brow arched. "And what was that?"

With a quick sideways glance, she brought herself closer to him, her voice lowered in a tantalizing whisper. "I heard Dick Grayson has a girlfriend."

Richard inhaled deeply, unsure of what she would think of his momentary slip up earlier, which, honestly wasn't a mistake in the least. He rubbed a hand at the back of his neck nervously now, his cheeks flushed. "Oh... uh, you caught that huh?"

Kori's lips pursed together in a moment of thought, her voice still lowered. "Its kind of hard to ignore something like that."

"Right..." his palms were victim to sweating now as his eyes studied her reaction in this moment. While he didn't regret announcing his relation to Kori, he did understand that he had gone against her wishes in doing so. "Uh... I just..." He paused running a hand through his hair, finding her expression undefined in this moment which only made his words more of a struggle. It was as Kori lowered her head into her hands, a giggle springing to life that he felt his heart jump slightly. "What?"

"You are too adorable you know that?"

His brow curved at this. "No..." He found humor in this, laughter sparking among himself. "I _don't_ do adorable."

"Oh...?" she moved closer to him, her mind focused on nothing more than his attractive expression of offense. "I think you do."

"Dick Grayson doesn't do adorable." He swallowed hard as her own defined brow arched now, this small amount of his own teasing medicine, causing his body to respond in a rippling shutter.

"That's a shame..." she said. The seductiveness in her voice brought Richard's mind to a complete halt, his body hesitant to ruin that beautiful erotic nibbling of her bottom lip between her porcelain teeth that crept toward him. "Right when I was warming up to him."

Richard swallowed hard. now was definitely not the time for Kori to play the flirtatious card; he was far too vulnerable against those jade gems that made no motion to desist in piercing through his, as it were. Clearing his throat he looked put to the crowd, trying to strengthen an believable amount of composure in which was entirely forced. "Well,... what can I do to convince you to keep him in your good graces?"

She lingered in unnecessary thought, for dramatics rather than the actual need to; no, she was already well aware of where she was going with this. "I have an idea,... why don't you and I spend a little time on the dance floor?" She laughed to herself, not expecting Richard to give in; her mind already taking to a change of subject. Her eyes narrowed, a realization setting over her she had yet to take the time to be aware of previously. "What's the deal here? You said it was more political than anything so..." she smiled, her eyes dancing across the ballroom before them. "... how does this work?"

"What do you mean?" He asked, finding humor in the reality that she was finally beginning to relax in this environment.

She perked one shoulder. "I don't know." She locked her eyes on his, a mischievous gleam drawing him in. "What's you're role in all of this? Are you meant to direct that Dick Grayson charm on anyone specifically in hopes of swaying them where Wayne Enterprise is concerned?"

Richard smiled, the mere fact she was taking a deeper interest in his matter of work was met with a strong amount of satisfaction to him. "Actually,..." he pointed to a very pompously dressed man, his elegance escaping acknowledgment due to his obvious arrogance. "... we have been trying to bind a contract with him for quite some time but he refuses to even respond to our attempts."

She interrupted him with an exasperated, fake, instant of astonishment, a hand over her heart now. "Someone turning down _Dick Grayson_? What a catastrophe?" She giggled as he brought his arm around her waist, a smirk at his lips. "How's you're ego handling all this?"

"Very funny..." he took her hand and began leading her through the crowd slowly. "... but since you seem so interested in my ego, you can volunteer a chance at restoring it to all its glory."

Kori's eyes narrowed. "Where... where are we going?"

She suddenly became somewhat nervous as he stepped to the center of the dance floor. That feeling of a lump within her throat suddenly tripled in weight as he raised one hand, twirling her gently before returning her frail figure into his arms, initiating a dance.

He instantly took pride in the far to clear display of surprise on her features, bringing her body as close to his as possible as they swayed to the elegant music at play. A smile developed over his features at the sensation of her body trembling against his touch, her voice reaching his ears melodically.

"I thought you didn't dance?"

"I never actually said that."

Kori paused, feeling as though she was floating within his arms. He moved so gracefully, his hands on her never breaking the hold they had over her only adding to the amplified nerve endings within her that tingled and sparked with every movement. "This... this is unexpected."

She made the mistake of allowing her eyes permission to gaze into his which made her knees weak. She stumbled slightly, an embarrassed blush striking her cheeks fiercely as he gave off a chuckle and returned her balance. She tightened her arm around the back of his neck and immediately shielded her face into the crook of his shoulder, feeling as though everyone in the room had seen her ridiculous error in footing. Ugh, this couldn't get any worse now could it? She wasn't one to skip a beat when dancing, so why now? She was always the one ready to initiate a dance but this... this moment, was what she expected from Richard, not herself.

Well, just as this thought penetrated her skull at an immense force, it all fell silent at the presence of Richard's hand as it stroked the center of her back, his fingers cascading through her hair and bringing a sense of calm over her. The mere chuckle that danced passed his lips was enough to strengthen her hesitation but the conflicting warmth that developed through her at being in his strong arms brought a mixed amount of emotion over her. She didn't lift her gaze in fear of finding people snickering at her mistake, and reality it wasn't that big of a deal and no one would have noticed if not for the unbearably adorable squeal that came from her as she had stumbled and Richard found humor in this; merely enjoying her latching on to him like a lifeline.

"Do not laugh at me," She whispered into the small space between her lips and his neck; hating the fact she felt so captivated by him; everything about him. His cologne, his touch, his eyes,...

Clearing his throat against the breath that had hitched, getting caught within his lungs at the presence of her breath against his neck, he lowered his voice. "I would never laugh at you... and no one else is either so you can stop hiding."

She jerked her head back now defensively. Sure, he had nailed her behavior right on the head, but she wouldn't admit that. Her eyes narrowed. "I'm not hiding."

He laughed. "Alright, what ever you say."

A giggle magnified her return of composure as he spun her out in front of him again; composure which flat-lined as he brought her body close to his again and slowly dipped her, lingering in her gaze as he did so.

She inhaled deeply. "You're being fairly affectionate wouldn't you agree?" She said breathlessly, in fact finding herself hoping he would just give in and kiss her; his eyes, those eyes holding a fiery of an undying passion burning into her retinas.

The patient effort he exuded to bring her to an upright stance once more happened in a slow motion scene of sorts. Both of their breathing had come to a pause, each anticipating the likes of one another's obvious attraction which was being held back by a flimsy façade of strength that continued to slip further out of existence. She could feel his hands becoming antsy against her waist, his eyes eagerly admiring her luscious, full lips, coinciding perfectly with the reflecting gaze she had narrowed over him. Her eyes were half lidded in a far too erotic sight for him to dismiss, and as his face moved toward hers slowly all it took was that slight curve at her lips for approval of his intentions in this moment to be realized. The world suddenly fell silent around them, blanketing their surroundings with an intense, vibrating swirl of colliding emotions being passed back and forth between them before their lips came crashing down on one another.

It was a greedy kiss, from both sides, so I suppose the amount of attention they received from that silent world around them made no assumption that it was a kiss shared between a playboy and a misfit but rather an exchange of sheer desire between two souls that craved one another's touch. While the two remained in a blissful exchange of warmth, each savoring the taste they had been avoiding, holding back at while the locked eyes the room had focused on them grew soft.

The press had done their part in announcing to the world that Dick Grayson had newly been single but this event, this undeniable display of affection in which the world had never been exposed to where Richard was concerned, for he was always the careless one, never one to be mistaken for adoration or loyal feelings for one person, ... lets just say this was quite a sight of see. His hands cupped at her cheeks, holding her gently yet bringing her as close to him, deepening the kiss as much as nature would allow, and she responded with a seemingly just as affectionate touch. It was as the two pulled away, the reality of their surroundings still falling short of acknowledgement, that mirrored smiles were put on display. The reality of what their actions would leave in terms of consequences was one that was discarded in this moment, each merely inhaling the presence of one another, their hunger never dying out.

A sweet giggle from Kori returned conversation now. Placing a hand against his cheek she smiled. "I am really excited for tomorrow."

"Then so am I. What are our plans exactly?"

Kori smiled. "You'll just have to wait and see. I have something very... _exciting_ in store for you." Her expression suddenly receded into worry. "Or at least I hope you will enjoy it."

This made him laugh now, she was never more beautiful then when deep in thought, at least in his opinion. "I have a feeling I will be happy with anything as long as you're beside me."

"Kori?"

Both bodies endured a jolt as the world fell back into existence around them, the reason being the presence of... Roy?

Kori's eyes went wide, her body submitting into tremors once again. "Wha... what are you doing here?"

The expression on his face depicted nothing short of guilt... sorrow perhaps and yet it was in no way something she sympathized; he was her weakness now and in no way does that mean it was a good thing; in fact it was the complete opposite.

"Look, Kor... I really... _really_ need to talk to you."

Kori shook her head feverishly, the towering walls within the room slowly beginning to collapse around her, at least it felt that way, a suffocating, painful reaction of sorts. She wasn't ready for this, her night was going far too well to be blindsided by this, by him, by this nauseated dominance of emotion spiraling out of control in her mind. She swallowed hard, her eyes shut, her voice almost a whisper. "Go away."

"Kori no... I need to explain what happened." Roy pleaded, his eyes warily keeping an eye on Richard who's suspicion was quickly spiking. Was Roy actually regretful in this instant? Did he truly find his actions the previous night as repulsive as they really were? There's no way to tell for certain, but I think its safe to say that's not what really mattered. "I need to..."

"What's going on here?" Richard inquired worriedly.

Kori shook her head, the moment her eyes returned to the vision of Roy staring back at her desperately the sight teased at her gag reflex. Placing a hand over her mouth and straining her eyes to refuse passage of the immediate tears that brimmed at her eyelids as she turned away from both men and quickly made her way toward one of the exits. What felt like an eternity, finally came to an end as she pushed passed a set of double doors, the silence of the hallway soothing her now.

"Kori..." Richard's concerned voice called, his footsteps reaching her quickly. She turned to him, her eyes let loose on a shower of lost control over her emotions. Richard was thoroughly thrown off, never more confused by this... he needed answers. Placing both hands at her shoulders he bent his knees slightly so that their eyes were parallel. "What's wrong?"

Kori inhaled deeply, a whimper only confirming her inability to sustain her desperation to be removed from this situation. "I can't... I just can't see him."

"What happened?" He paused, the events of the night before... stumbling into Roy on Vic's doorstep, the distress he found Kori in seconds later... it all became clear now. His eyes widened. "Did... did he put his hands on you?" As Kori shut her eyes, clasped them shut as if the action would make his words untrue, he could feel the anger within him spark fiercely. "Did he hurt you?" No reply. "Kori!" He shouted, not trying to inflict his anger for Roy on her but never needing confirmation more than in this moment. "Did he put his hands on you?"

It was now that Kori inhaled deeply, her eyes finding Richards and, whether she wanted them to or not, her eyes gave him the answer. "It's not what you think." She wiped at her eyes. "He was drunk and I... I should have known." As Richard's posture straightened, his demeanor turning rigid, his jaw set tightly now, that Kori feared the contents of what his current thoughts brought. "No... I mean, I didn't want him to do what he did. I don't... " God, did he think she had led Roy on? That she had provoked him? She shook her head desperate for understanding. "I didn't want this ... he just... I didn't... I'm so sorry. Nothing happened but..."

"But he tried?" He asked between grinding teeth.

"I need to go home."

He grabbed her arm as she tried to turn away from him, probably more violently then he should have but he was far too consumed in rage to even realize. "Did he?"

Her chest rose and fell rapidly, no amount of words intending on passing her lips as she pulled her arm back and fled the building, her tears never more alive.

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"Kori!"

Kori rolled her tear-stained eyes at the sight of Vic racing toward her as she stepped from the taxi. Was it too much to ask that she be left alone to wallow in her own sorrow? Was it wrong to want to hush her existence back into hiding if only it meant she would be alone for once?

"I can't deal with anyone right now, Vic. Please, leave me alone."

Vic blocked her path, his eyes wide. "Why the hell did I just get an irate phone call from Dick?" He paused as Kori swallowed nervously, her eyes cast upon the ground now. "Kori... I don't think you realize the temper he has. He's in the center of a public event, full of people, witnesses, an event Bruce set up..." he shook his head. "I don't mean to sound unsympathetic to your situation but... Dick is gonna end up beating the shit out of Roy in front of all those people and ..." He released a frustrated growl. "You should have told him when I was around not now... why make a scene?"

"I didn't tell him, he figured it out for himself. Roy showed up and..."

"Fuck... this is ridiculous. I have to go after him."

"He wont start a fight over me Vic. He's not that stupid."

Vic gave a sarcastic laugh. "Are you kidding me? Kori... when he's upset, upset the way he was with me on the phone for merely not telling him about what happened with you and Roy..." he sighed. "Go inside... I have to go to the event and stop him before he ends up causing a million problems for Bruce and his company."

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**(A/N) Alright, so this chapter was a little on the long side but I hope that's okay. Also there is reason for bringing little miss 'Kitten' into the storyline even if it seemed random and short, and yes Richard does get revenge against Roy next chapter so for those of you anxious for that... yea. Thnx for the reviews, sry for the late update, I'm going to try and be a little better at that. R/R Also, I put descriptions of two new stories on my profile so do me a favor and check them out. tell me what you think and which should proceed CO.**


	14. The Unforgiven

**Chapter Fourteen: The Unforgiven**

As the line on the phone went dead, signifying the conversation with Vic had come to an end, Richard could feel every inch of his body begin to fume. The unbearable anger he felt at Roy for committing such an act as to attempt to force himself upon Kori, whether she and himself were together or not, was something he could never forgive or take lightly. What added to this was the insufferable strength of confusion and a small amount of betrayal he felt at Kori for not coming to him with this information which was one that easily fed his anger toward Roy, and once more the reality that Vic, one of his closest friends had kept him in the dark about this entire situation was all too much to take.

The hallway he remained in, his innocent Kori having fled only moments ago before he had rang Vic for confirmation and detail of what occurred between Roy and his girlfriend it all caused the corridor's walls to narrow in on him; within his mind. Red... this was the dominant factor which coated Richard's vision in a veil of rage. If he had been in his right mind, the mere reality that he had never felt such anger in this magnitude, it would have surprised even himself. His mind had never encompassed such sharp, intense flames of infuriating thoughts to the point where heat was rising from his skin, his every nerve scraping beneath his flesh, threatening to blister his insides as his feet carried him back into the large ballroom. Everything at this point was happening too quickly, without hesitation and more importantly with a lack of logic or care of consequence to play a role in his actions. He focused on Kori's fear, the obvious pain in her eyes as he initially discovered what Roy had done, this alone intensifying his anger; encouraging him to proceed. The fact that he didn't exactly know the precise details of what conspired between them didn't matter, not now, no, what mattered was Roy; finding him and making him pay. He would make Roy suffer; make his every nerve shutter with agony at even a slight movement; he was determined to make him literally feel regret with every fiber of his existence.

There was a crowd focused on him already as he entered the room, his shoulders remaining locked in posture as he nudged his way through the people around him. The sheer, untainted, undiluted animosity swelling within him was apparent merely at the very sight of him to anyone bothering to glance in his direction. His eyes were wide and clouded over in a fierce frenzy of determination; scanning with the utmost urgency for the presence of one Roy Harper who he was certain would not have escaped the event just yet.

He ignored the whispers of judgement that took to life around him as he passed; the crowd quickly realizing there was something rather cataclysmic that was about to occur; and at the hand of their beloved prince of Gotham no less. His fists clenched tighter, his feet never more persistent to keep weaving through the sea of people around him. The only amount of hesitation was encompassed in a brief instant as he spotted a concerned Wally approaching.

"Hey whats up man?" Wally asked, setting his glass upon one of the neighboring tables and making an attempt to step within Richard's path. He was well aware of the anger that formed in creases on Richard's face; he knew this type of rage was not to be underestimated.

Ignored Wally's words Richard positioned himself around his friend giving an unnecessary shove at Wally's shoulder as he passed; if only to emphasize how unnerved he was at the moment and to deliver the message that distance was demanded from him in this moment.

It was this gesture that surged even more concern within Wally. He glanced around the room, suddenly becoming aware of the nervous gazes which focused on Richard as he continued his path through the crowd. Willing his feet, Wally took after Richard now; his feet moving rapidly in an attempt to keep up with his heated friends pace.

"What... uh... what are you doing man? I think you're beginning to make everyone uneasy." He said, his shaky voice took to life even as he tried to seem as neutral in the situation as ever to ensure not to add to the fire that was Richard's temper.

Wally's eyes scanned over the crowd in search of what ever it was that could possibly have upset him so much. In truth, He half expected to find Babs with a new boy toy but all that was within Richard's range was Roy... what could have happened that...? His eyes widened, his entire body jolting in shock at the sight of Richard sending a vicious fist down at Roy who had upon noticing Richard's approach began to recede, hands out at his sides innocently.

"Holy shit." Wally muttered to himself; a loud bang sounded from the collision of Roy's body being knocked back upon the hard, marble floor.

Words and even movement were lost from acknowledgement against the wave of gasps which rippled and echoed off the surrounding walls of the now hostile environment. It took a moment of thought; realization; shock, to settle in before Wally raced after Richard who had continued to attack their friend. He wasn't sure what was happening or why but Richard was making no attempts to stop or even go easy on Roy. Roy... well, he was struggling to keep consciousness at this point, his hands ever so often trying to force Richard off of him; but to no avail.

"Enough!" Wally shouted, his hands forcing their way to Richard's shoulders, trying to pull him off of the now barely conscious Roy.

No... there was no way of stopping him, Richard was too concentrated, too determined to end the visuals of Roy hurting Kori that swirled within his clouded vision...

His fists kept at work, striking down upon his victim without remorse, without concern for the effect his consistent attack could result in. It wasn't until a loud voice sounded behind them, a violent shove of none other than Bruce Wayne himself, that the fight, while very one-sided, came to an end.

Richard's gaze never left Roy who was now turned on his side by Wally, the amount of blood being released to the floor from his mouth and nose was one that satisfied Richard, no matter how insane it sounded. It was now, as Bruce's glare became realized that Richard became aware of the gawking, nervous, fear induced gazes of everyone in the room who had gathered in a large circle around the scene before them. He didn't care, nor could the daggering disappointment of Bruce himself could change this. Even as Bruce pulled Richard by the collar and to his feet, demanding in a vicious whisper that he go home, that he felt no shred of regret.

Sure, a Christmas event was not one that would have been the best idea to allow such anger to be expressed by him but that didn't mean he could hold back. Roy deserved what he got, he deserved to be in pain and no amount of press covering this event would be able to change that fact. If he was certain of one thing it was that he could practically do anything and the world would still hold him in a grand light so why even bother with the courtesy of explaining himself for his actions? The only problem now was trying to calm his temper after such a night of encompassed furiousness.

He smiled to himself as both Wally and Roy cringed at his last approach. He wiped at the corner of his bottom lip which bled slightly from a small cut and he directed a finger down at Roy. "You stay away from Kori or next time I'll make sure no ones around to stop me when I kick your ass again."

Richard had sped through the streets of Gotham, unconcerned for his own well being as he swerved through traffic at such high speeds, his anger yet to die down. There was one thing he could do to calm himself and that's where he was headed. He knew Kori would come looking for him soon enough, especially after she learned of his attack on Roy. He wasn't sure what she would say, how she would react but it didn't matter; he knew what he did had to be done. Roy wasn't going to stop pursuing Kori until he made it known that she was off-limits... to everyone, and after his display of protectiveness over her it was clear the whole world would know now.

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Kori paused, her mind wavering between inconsistent waves of strength and courage to continue in this moment. She had to see Richard, just had to. After what Vic had explained to her... she just had to.

With a sigh she entered the large building before her and approached the tall counter within the center of the lobby. A rather elegant dressed man raised a brow at her, as she remained speechless before him; merely looking up at him nervously. She inhaled deeply, unsure whether this was a waste of time in the end or not. She didn't really expect this man to willingly provide her with the information of Dick Grayson's apartment number, but she opted for hope anyway. Clearing her throat she forced a smile.

"Hello, how can I assist you, ma'am?"

She hesitated, trying to discard the amount of anxiety that rushed her at the involuntary nervous tapping of her foot against the marble floor beneath her feet. Crossing her arms over the tall counter she leaned into it with a sigh. "Look, I'm here to meet my..." Lets see... boyfriend would sound like too much of a lie, especially when the world believed Richard to be newly single. "Uh,... my friend Richard Grayson." Her nerves tripled in weight at the man's brows narrowed in uncertainty, instantly sparking her rambling. "You see, I'm visiting for the holidays and he said that if I had the time I could stop by and..."

"Look, ma'am, I apologize but if you are not on the list then..." He sighed, realizing Kori's hope plummet into oblivion. "What is your name? There are a very select few on Mr. Grayson's approved list of welcome visitors but if you say he is expecting you then..."

"Kori... Kori Anders." She answered, her voice deflated; no amount of hope ringing back. There was no way her name was on that list... no way that...

"Ahh, perfect." The gentleman said, causing Kori's eyes narrowed in disbelief. She stared back at him hesitantly as he continued. "Right this way Ms. Anders."

She took a moment to glance behind her unsure if this was a joke or not but followed nonetheless. He escorted her to the furthest elevator and handed her a golden card. Instructing her to the way to Richard's apartment he then left her with a smile before the elevator doors shut between them.

The ride was silent, cold, her mind finally becoming alert to the uncomfortablility that she was nonetheless hardly dressed. Sure she wore the same blue dress that she wore to the event but it didn't exactly shield her from the creeping cold of the towering elevator ride to the very peak of the hotel. With an orchestrated bing, the doors before her swished open ans she was left staring back at a single, narrow hallway.

She stepped out into the hallway, her nerves as the elevator shut behind her never more sharp. Reaching the door at the end of the intimidating hallway she slid the gold card, as instructed through the small slot, a small green light granting her access. Once the door popped open she stepped into the penthouse suite, her eyes going wide against the interior design. It was magnificent to say the least but she had no time to admire his choice in home, she needed to find him. She walked for a long while before a muffled voice disturbed the silence, bringing her hesitant feet to a pause.

The noise protruded from a room to her left and as she entered she glanced around trying to find the presence of the strained voice she had heard; muffled curses released beneath the voice she knew to be Richards'.

"Richard?"

There was a break in the voice and a small sigh before the presence of strained breath continued again. Approaching the sound Kori turned a large corner, a large weight room coming into view and the vision of Richard pulling his body up at a thin horizontal bar, commencing in consistent pull ups she inhaled deeply. He was angry still that much was clear, and yet, while she knew she came here to see if he was alright, it quickly became apparent that all her courage had disintegrated in the awkward air around her as he refused to look at her; the fact that he was shirtless didn't exactly balance any odds in her favor where decorum was concerned.

Clearing her throat innocently, she took one last nervous step toward him. "I..." she paused, somewhat taken back by the loud echo the gym rooms walls managed to carry her voice along. She swallowed hard, Richard still doing pull ups as though her presence was nothing more than a nuisance; his breath stressed more. "I heard what happened. Vic told me you were here and I..." Queue fidgeting within her hands. "I wanted to see that you were okay." Her brows burrowed at a small narrowing of his frustrated gaze. "Are you...?"

He released a curt exhale, the action diving her self-conscious uncertainty in this moment further down before he continued his pattern. "Right now probably isn't the best time to be around me."

She took a second step into the room, her voice low now. "Richard I..." Her eyes wandered over him, the presence of blood, whether his own or not, became aware. Her drowning eyes cowered before his, the mere sight of him still so heated, his skin still shaking from the adrenaline pumping through his veins was enough to make her hesitant. "I'm really _so_ sorry about all of this."

At her words he pulled his neck over the bar one last time then released himself to the floor wiping at the small trail of sweat upon his brow, moving into a seated position on the edge of a weight bench, his elbows resting against his knees. "I'm warning you... you don't want to have any amount of conversation with me."

She crossed her arms, a scowl forming now. Was he upset with her? She certainly didn't appreciate the tone in which he struck as of now but she hesitated, seriously considering leaving. She had even turned a heel, her body only freezing as a thought crossed her mind causing a sense of, I wouldn't say anger but frustration to commence within her.

"You do _not_ get to be upset with me over this." She could see his body tense at her sudden alteration in attitude but she ignored it, her finger directed down at him. "I can understand if I am intruding... after all this is your home and if you don't want me here I will go but you're going to have to tell me to leave."

It was now that his eyes glanced to hers, quickly finding the floor once more before she had the chance to draw him in. He wasn't entirely sure how he felt in relation to her in this moment. He knew it wasn't her fault Roy did what he did but her keeping such an altercation from him was enough to cause him to need time on his own to think. He was upset, angry... at her? No, but he was disappointed in her and perhaps this was even worse than any amount of anger he could feel. If one thing was certain he just wanted to be alone.

Laying back on the padding now, he lifted the bar over his head and began lifting. "Don't make this anymore difficult then it has to be. I need to be alone right now. I need to be able to think about everything."

She inhaled deeply, a fragment of anger, one in which she never truly believed would spark when in relation to Richard but this moment proved he was no exception. "This is precisely why I told you I didn't want a relationship; that I wasn't _ready_ for it. I didn't need you're help with Roy and while you went out of your way to do so I appreciate the concern but you should in no way expect me to allow such anger to be inflicted upon me because I didn't know how to tell you about what happened."

His arms came to a halt, returning the bar back onto its shelf as he sat up looking to her now. He was trying to suppress the amount of anger flowing through his veins but it seemed far more difficult in this moment. "Fine, you want to have this discussion...fine." He stood, a shrug, hands out at his sides taking place. "_Why_ wouldn't you tell me about what happened?"

Kori sighed, the anger on his expression was expected especially following his warning but it did not make this situation any easier to be apart of; nor could she stop the small amount of sympathy she once held for him from slipping from her thoughts. "I didn't ... I..."

He shook his head, taking one step into the room, his voice testing and projecting nothing other than warning. "Why would you keep something like this from me?"

Kori's body retreated into a slouch of uncertainty, the terrors in her hands becoming more violent now, for an entirely different reason then they had lingered before her arrival. She wasn't sure what he expected her to say, what he would want from her in this moment, but it felt very vital that she not upset him further. It wasn't that she feared he would bring harm to her, but that he was... the light in his eyes was dark, hazed over in rage; he was particularly frightening in this moment. She had never experienced such a furious gaze from his usually comforting eyes; the sight making her mind go blank.

"I..."

He shook his head, impatient for her hesitation. "Why?" He demanded, his clenched teeth only adding to the scraping of his words as they jabbed at her composure.

Fighting through the increase of her heartbeat as it sent her chest to rise and fall rapidly, she bit at the inside of her cheek to deny any tears from life. "I... I didn't think you would be _this_ upset. I..."

"What?" He shouted, flabbergasted by her words. His own chest rose defensively; surely she didn't really believe that?. "How can you think this wouldn't bother me?" He growled, beginning to pace a small area before her. "I mean, I actually ... " He paused, a small laugh of aggravation surfacing as his pacing came to a halt, leaving him staring down at her now. "I spoke to him last night when he left. I wanted to make sure he wasn't offended by the thought of a relationship between you and me." He placed his hands on either side of his head, another growl sparking. "I actually told him... I said he was a good friend, that he..." He paused, cursing beneath his breath and kicking a foot at a small weight station beside him, knocking it to the side. "What a fucking idiot I was. He must have been laughing the whole night at how pathetic I seemed in that instant."

"I just... I didn't want to cause drama within our friends. Honestly, I wasn't hiding it... I just wasn't sure how to tell you about this."

His eyes narrowed and he took a violent step toward her. "He tried to force himself on you and you thought I wouldn't be upset? I mean... do you honestly believe that this wouldn't bother me?"

The volume of his voice only magnified his furious rage but she did her best to not break down in front of him. Lifting her chin to the air, clearing her throat in an attempt to strengthen it, she said, "I don't want to argue with you Richard. I only came here to ensure you were okay and now that I know you are..."

"No, no, no." He said waving a hand at her and silencing her. His patience was far gone by now. "You said you wanted to talk and here I am. I'm listening so go, explain yourself. How can you be upset with _me_ for defending you?"

"He... Roy didn't mean to do what he did. He was drunk and I... I should have known. He and I..."

"No. That's bullshit Kori. Don't you dare make excuses for him." He turned away from her, giving his all to hold back his currently dominating anger her words continued to feed. Bracing a hand against the wall beside them, he dipped his head, shaking it in disbelief. "You need to have more self-worth Kori. I don't care if you were with Roy in the past or not, no one should touch you that you don't want to. Can't you _see_ that this isn't okay? You can't make this okay for him."

"I'm... not trying to." Was she? If so she hadn't realized it, perhaps it was her guilty conscious that came into play at this point. As she removed herself from this instant and examined everything from a more neutral stand point she sighed, lowering her head into her hands. "I'm... I'm sorry." Richard looked to her now, his anger still refusing to take a pause even as he took the time to realize her distress. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for you to feel obligated to do anything about this. I ... I didn't tell you because I didn't want to cause drama among our friends, and certainly not with you."

"Can't you see that you're worth the drama Kori? I would rather every one of our friends to be at odds then to have you exposed to even the smallest fragment of pain. Tonight I felt no amount of obligation. I did this because I wanted to, not because I had to." He shook his head, his eyes trailing over her features desperate for understanding. Kori's gaze found hope as Richard's voice softened slightly. "I don't know how else to make you see how important you are to me. _This_... this should never have happened, and you should have told me so I could have done something about it sooner."

She could still feel him shaking with the amount of anger he remained submerged in and yet no amount of her apologizing seemed to waver such a mood. He seemed to become gentle for a brief second but that had already passed; his anger resurfacing as he slipped back into his thoughts about the events of tonight.

"What... what exactly did you do to him?"

"Not enough."

She shook her head, lowering it into her hands. "I... you shouldn't have..."

"I don't care. You didn't deserve this, and..." his teeth were grinding; suspicion setting within him now. First she defends him, now she's worried about Roy's condition? "... why would you even defend him? You're the only victim in all of this as far as I'm concerned so why? Why are you worried about his well-being?"

"I don't..."

"Are there still feelings between you two?" What an idiot... Dick Grayson's ego steps aside to introduce his shockingly heightened amount of jealousy pumping through his heart. In reality, he knew there was nothing left between Kori and Roy, he knew it, Kori had been clear on this very much but the fact she had, in this moment, chosen to defend her ex verses thank Richard for defending her... he grew bitter. "Is there something you aren't telling me?"

Kori's eyes widened. "No... of course not."

He rolled his eyes, returning to the weight bench and resuming his work. Mumbling the word "Clearly." beneath his breath.

Her eyes narrowed now as she took a step back; the sharp pain, that incessant heaviness that struck her chest was one that brought her body to recede back as if she had physically been shoved by Richard's accusations. How dare he make this about deceit on her part. He was right about one thing, she was the victim, not him, not Roy, not anyone, and yet... here he was trying to cause more issues at the expense of the knowledge of what occurred between her and Roy; exactly what she wished to avoid.

"Are you saying you don't believe me? You don't _trust_ me when I tell you I only have feelings for you?"

He sighed, his temper making him furthermore immune to logic in this instant. "I don't really know at this point."

Those once held back tears broke through her dam of forced composure now, finding no amount of strength to hold onto any longer and she inhaled deeply, stepping toward the exit now. "You really are an asshole, Richard... you know that?"

It was this that snapped him from his stubborn attitude, his anger crumbling around his brain in an unbearable sense of urgency. He released a growl to himself as he watched Kori's figure step out of the room. He could feel his heart beating even faster now, the intensity within his veins was becoming too heavy to contain. He paused in thought, replaying his previous actions and hating himself for what he had done and said and yet... his pride took to life and all he could muster himself to do was lower his head into his hands in disappointment; wanting nothing more than to go after her but knowing time would be the one thing that could ease this situation.

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Poor Kori... little, innocent Kori. It seemed the world had a grudge against her now. The one person she had found sanctuary in... he was now upset, uneasy; it was heartbreaking to say the least. She sat within the kitchen of Vic's house now, well aware Vic was staying back at Karen's place for the night so she was all alone, aside from her lovable kitten Silkie of course. As it were, she sat within the center of the island counter within the kitchen legs crossed and a small tub of ice cream at hand, Silkie far too enthralled with the small amount of ice cream served to him on a small dish, while Kori's eyes focused on the large television screen; watching over and over the graphic news report of the famed playboy Dick Grayson starting a brawl within the Christmas event. She cold have sworn at one point she saw a very displeased Bruce glaring off in the distance and the sight of Roy was far too bloodied and bruised to even be recognized.

She had sat here a long while, how long exactly... well, about almost one pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream later, that's how long. She glanced down at Silkie with a sigh as she involuntarily noticed the time.

Midnight...

"Merry Christmas Silkie." She said, her tone deflated and coupled with a dramatic sigh of disappointment.

The small kitten ignored her, far too amused by the ice cream in his dish which only brought a smile to her lips, aside from the groggy, annoyed expression she felt. With another heavy sigh she wedged the spoon between her teeth and using both hands, shut the now empty ice cream carton and set it aside, practically jumping out of her skin as the front door to the house opened. Her eyes widened, but the rest of her body froze. Who could be here at this hour? Her first thought was that it was Roy? No,... by the news coverage that was very doubtful. He was sure to be spending his Christmas eve in the hospital. Then,what if it was an intruder? Or worse, what if it was Richard? How would that be worse? Well, as of this moment she wasn't entirely sure she was ready to see him; the last anger induced glare he had focused on her brought a undesirable urge to steer clear of him for a while. How long? Who knows, and while she hated every second being away from him... it was probably for the best.

The calm footsteps seemed to gravitate toward her casually, which brought her nerves to amplify now. Lifting her legs to her chest she hugged at them, lowering her head until all that was visible to her was the small doorway to the kitchen in the distance, her eyes peeking over her knees in a frightened manner.

"Kori?"

She inhaled deeply, the sudden urge to weep striking her but no... she wouldn't give anyone the satisfaction of seeing her cry. She was building walls around her now, walls that remained firm around all of her friends but had previously began to crumble with Richard; they were rebuilding, and she was determined to guard herself around him now, but this situation was different. It wasn't Richard coming to apologize even though a part of her had hoped it were; no it was...

"I am here in here Gar." She said in forced casualness.

He stepped into the kitchen, his eyes seemingly more desperate then she had ever witnessed before. "You okay?" His hands were thrust into his pockets, his foot kicking at the ground in the silence before he spoke again, his body leaning into the door frame. "I heard what happened and I came to find you right away. Why didn't you tell anyone about this Kori?"

She rolled her eyes, in no mood for a lecture. "I don't know, I suppose I crave the type of dramatics tonight held." She shrugged, a sarcastic laugh sounding as she motioned to the television. "At least I wasn't disappointed."

Gar shook his head, a heavy sigh escaping him. "I'm not here to attack you Kori. I'm just concerned. From the conversation I had with Vic it seemed like Dick was very temperamental and I'm just making sure he didn't upset you in any way."

Kori's jaw shifted, tightening in an attempt to suppress a small cry of sadness. "I..." She licked at her lips, her mind wavering for a moment. "I'm fine."

His large green eyes narrowed and he made his way toward her, helping himself to the tv remote beside her on the counter as he shut the tv off. "Well, as long as you let me stay for a while I'll _pretend_ as though I believe you."

Kori paused, finding those Forrest greens of Gar's firm against her hesitant demeanor. For some reason she didn't take offense, was in no way annoyed with his presence, in fact she felt grateful. Inhaling deeply she gave him a half-hearted smile. "Home Alone?"

His eyes softened. "I know you are."

This made Kori laugh now as she stood, making her way toward him and taking his hand. "No, I meant Home Alone... the movie."

Gar rolled his eyes. "You know, Vic warned me about this but sure... why not." He paused as she forced him into a seated position on one of the bordering couches of the living room. "You do realize that Home Alone is hardly a Christmas movie. The whole story-line could practically be formed around any of the holidays. The only Christmas thing about it is the end when they get presents and..."

"Oh shut it Gar. Just enjoy the movie with me or I will be forced to kick you out."

They sat watching the movie, Gar laughing only as Kori did, the movie not as great as he remembered as a kid but still good. It was when they were finally half way through that he suddenly turned to her, taking advantage of her immense shift in mood; her being in a much better attitude was the perfect opportunity to pick at her brain for details.

Clearing his throat was enough to grab her attention and as she looked to him curiously, he gave a weak smile, suddenly feeling hesitant against her innocent gaze. "Uh..." He raked a hand through his mess of hair, before giving off a small laugh. "You know... I already know Dick was... well, .. a dick to you so, you don't have to..."

"I'd rather not discuss him right now. If you're here to tell me that you were right, that everyone was right about him then I don't want to hear it. He was upset, I can understand that."

"No... don't interrupt, you are always doing that." He laughed, elbowing her playfully. "As it is, most of the time you're wrong in your assumptions of what I'm going to say so just... Shhhhh." At this Kori giggled, so he continued. "I was going to say that you should just give Dick a little time to clear his head. He's always had this temper and well, I would be lying if it wasn't a common event that he stepped out of line when in instances of rage. He tends to say things that he doesn't mean or..."

"I get it." She said with a sigh. Was this meant to really ease her mind about what had happened? She understood Richard was upset and most likely didn't mean what he had accused her of but that didn't change the vulnerability she experienced when his glare was focused down upon her. "I just... I don't really know what to do at this point. Am I upset with him? A little, but not enough to hold a grudge. I understand why he's upset that I never told him what occurred between Roy and I but he needs to understand that this... this whole relationship thing is..."

"Wait... what?"

Kori's eyes went wide. She looked to Gar who mirrored her expression, his from confusion, and hers from regret. She laughed nervously, damn, when was she ever going to learn to just keep her mouth shut? Clearing her throat she looked to the television screen once more. "Uh... nothing. Friendship.. I meant friendship."

Gar shook his head. "No ... no you didn't."

There was a lingering gaze now, Kori trying to inject innocence in her expression while Gar was already studying those far too familiar lines of guilt and secrecy across her forehead. Then as the two broke into laughter, Gar tossed an arm around her, bringing her into him in an awkward side hug.

"You know..." he began. "If anything, you should have told me you were with Dick now. I was literally the only one on your side about him. I'll admit I'm a little offended."

Kori rolled her eyes. "Look, I didn't tell anyone aside from Vic."

"Ugh, Vic knows. How am I suppose to compete with him where you're concerned if you always give him the inside scoop?' He rolled his eyes. "So... what are your plans tomorrow? I think Vic said something about having dinner back at the Manor tomorrow so..."

Kori sighed, burying her head further into his shoulder. "I'm so over trying to plan things out; anytime I do it turns out horrible. Look at tonight... I should be here with Richard right now but no, he's upset with me, tomorrows Christmas and I had something planned just for him but now that's ruined and... ugh... as it is, I'm having fun with you here. Maybe tomorrow it'll just be me and you. I know I have to stop and see Ryan. He's sure to be a mess on Christmas just because of Komi. I don't really know what to expect from him so we'll just have to see but I could definitely use a friend."

Gar smiled. "Well, if you end up needing me there then of course I will be but... something tells me Dick will come to his senses and apologize by then."

This brought some amount of comfort to her. "You really think so?"

Gar nodded. "Yes. I'm actually surprised he hasn't shown up already."

There was a long pause before Kori resurfaced from her thoughts and decided to draw attention to a question that had been bothering her since Gar showed up at the Manor those few days ago. "Gar... once the holidays are over... does that mean you're going to leave?"

He hesitated. "I left because I didn't have a place here but now that your back there's nowhere I'd rather be. I just have to fix a few things in my life before I can make a decision on whether I'm staying or not; but I'd like to."

"Fix some tings... as in Rachel?"

"Ugh,... Rachel, Rachel, Rachel..."

They shared a quick laugh. "Yea well, have you even _tried_ talking to her?"

"Noooooo. She works these insane long hours and then she heads home to rest and no one wants to be around her when she hasn't had any sleep."

"Do you know what you would even say to her?"

He shook his head. "No... I don't really know what I want, but I guess that depends on her. I just need a little closure about ... about before."

"So no getting back together?"

"If life were perfect... sure, but it just doesn't work that way; you know that."

Kori smiled, giving a small kiss to his forehead. "Alright, I'll make more popcorn. You just relax."

As the doorbell rang Kori called out to Gar to get it and after a moment of silence, she froze at his words.

"Uh... it's Dick." Gar's uncertain voice announced to Kori.

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**(A/N) Wow, don't I feel horrible hahaha... as far as updating I basically did the exact opposite of what I promised last time... oops. lol I will be better at updating but this time around something came up so... yea. Anyway, next chapter things get a little more than romantic between Richard and Kori, but everyone knows when things are going good, there's always something to shatter the happiness so... we'll see. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. R/R **


	15. Emotional Compromise

**Chapter Fifteen: Emotional Compromise**

"Uh... it's Dick."

Kori turned to find the two standing tensely within the doorway. She swallowed hard within the gleam of Gar's sudden disturbed behavior in this moment as he stepped to her planting a kiss to her temple. "I think I'll head home... give you some time to talk."

Kori gave him a weak smile and hardly a nod as he made his way toward the exit; trying her best to adjust to the awkward air around them.

"Wait..." Came Richard's soft voice. Kori's eyes narrowed, her mind pausing as his somewhat weak voice reached out to Gar, whose footsteps had come to a halt. Richard inhaled deeply, his mind hesitant on his next move. "Look... Gar, just wait in the living room if you will." Kori swallowed hard at the brief glance Richard sent her way before he focused on Gar once more. "...I'll only be a minute."

Damn was the awkwardness within the room ever more apparent in this instant. A small scraping of Gar's left foot sounded as he slowly redirected his path to lead himself into the living room; that awkwardness now narrowing its glare on the two that remained. From the distance Richard seemed to keep as of now, and the clear display of an otherwise brief encounter that was to take place, his words confirming this, only arose further fear within Kori. The initial assumption that he was standing before her in order to extend an apology was a probability that had vanished instantly, replaced with a wavelength of tension that managed to sustain an unbearable strength surging back and forth within the space that separated them.

There seemed to be a slight chill that crept from the tile beneath them now, rising all around her and clinging to her skin unsympathetically, Kori hugging at herself while Richard looked to his feet, one hand in his pocket and the other forcing its way nervously through his thick hair. Inconsistent flickers of glances that browsed his demeanor triggered Kori's thoughts to resign closer to the lengths of apprehension. The perplexities of his emotions which refused any amount of consistency as they relayed themselves back to her in a swirl of clashing, contradictory. One moment he seemed agitated; dismayed, and the next he looked so depressed, uneasy, unsure... his eyes were sending luminescent streaks of blue energy toward her which revived her sudden urge to kiss him, hug him, return that confident smile of his...

No... she wasn't going to make this easy for him. Dammit, he did look ever so apologetic though and he hadn't even spoken to her yet. Nope. Remain strong, remain distant, well, not even that just... keep, uh... neutral; yea that sounds fair.

Inhaling deeply she crossed her arms over her chest. "Vic isn't here right now."

His eyes cowered against hers now, lowering to the floor guiltily. "I..." he ran a hand through his hair once more, his voice uneven, rough, steely, and unintentionally striking Kori with immediate weakness for him. "You know I'm not here for Vic." Those profound, piercing eyes found hers once more; shattering any and all amount of confidence and deflective attitude she hoped to have shield over her vulnerabilities which scratched beneath the surface in this instance. "Can we talk?" He swallowed hard as she turned her back to him; the reality that she was unsure of how to respond within this moment springing nerves to flare now. He took a single step deeper into the room, receding back instantaneously as his mind demonstrated the courage to rise out of its current suffocation. Clearing his throat he said, "Look,... there... I'm not here to argue or even tell you that I regret what I said..." his voice shook quiet as she turned back to him, the mere sight of her so consumed in uncertainty only heightening his own inability to remain levelheaded.

He swallowed hard, his brows burrowing; an involuntary act doused across his expression to convey the undeniable reality that he would give anything to bring her into his arms and apologize; if only to resuscitate her bubbly character. He couldn't though, not just yet. The truth: he wasn't sorry for anything he had said, perhaps just the way his words had delivered themselves.

Ignoring that internal dialogue within his skull which continued to scold him for having lashed out in a fit of rage against the one person he had fought to make his, he brought his gaze to his feet now; freeing himself from the torture the distress within her defenseless emerald eyes inflicted upon him. With a hand rubbing at the back of his neck, if only to lighten the thickness of the air within his lungs, he said, "I wish I could stand here and tell you I regret what I said,... that I didn't mean it, that... that seeing you now and how upset you are makes it any easier to deal with the reality of this situation but that just isn't so." He gave off a prolonged shrug, speaking now more to himself then to Kori; as if he needed to convince himself of these truths he spoke. "I just... I can't be that guy that can easily dismiss certain aspects in a relationship of this magnitude." He raised a hand in a request of further silence as Kori opened her mouth to speak. "I know... I know you told me, _warned_ me, made it _very_ clear you weren't ready for a relationship and I can understand that. I'm not saying that I'm impervious to the reality that you have every right to be just as upset as I am for your own reasons and yea... that's fine." He swallowed hard, relieved as her gentle gaze softened. "I'm only here to..." he shook his head, only wishing he had come about this argument in this calmer manner initially. "I'm just here to relay to you my position in this matter. I just want you to understand why... why I'm so upset."

Kori felt a sharpness within her chest as he said this. Great, this was even further confirmation that he wasn't here because things would be slowly getting back to normal but rather that he was still very much upset. Demanding herself confidence, she held her gaze to his and gave an understanding nod, her voice more shaken then she would have appreciated. "Of course. I'm listening."

Richard hesitated, why did she have to be so understanding in this instant? Most girls would have revived their anger by now and barreled down at him in a rant about how he had lost his temper. "Thank you." Another pause, his mind scraping once more to find the perfect amount of decorum. "I just..." Another nervous clawing of a hand through his thick hair, a shift in his footing before his voice found a sturdy, somewhat intimidating tone once more; one that Kori was thoroughly surprised at. No, he wasn't shouting, but she could sense without any difficulty at all the anger that lingered within him. "It's hard for me to let something like this go. I have no issue with having to deal with Roy on my own, no problem being upset with Vic for keeping all of this from me but you..." Kori fought her hardest not to allow the flinch of her head which jerked back slightly, never feeling more hurt by his words. "... you should have told me. You shouldn't have sent me away that night, you should have told me and I would have made it all better right away. The mere thought that you've been dealing with this on your own..." Okay, now his anger was rising to a level she was becoming uncomfortable against. Which, he must have noticed because at the sight of his grinding teeth, he exhaled slowly, his voice calming once more yet not entirely deprived of such rage that clearly boiled beneath his skin. "How can I be the one to protect you, shield you from any harm when you keep me in that dark?"

"I..." Wow, this... words, they were a little more than distant from her thoughts. Her eyes scanned frantically over her surroundings in hopes of finding the light it would take to return her to normal motor functioning. "I never wanted things to play out this way. I ... I was scared and..."

"Exactly." Richard interrupted, his electric sapphires stabbing at her once more. "Kori..." he took a single step into the room, his voice pawning for understanding. "Please... listen to me when I say that this was wrong; all of it was. Roy should never have done what he did, you should never have kept it from me, and I should never have raised my voice to you but... I'm not here to say who's right or who's wrong because it feels different to each of us. I'm only here to let you know that I'm not angry at you, I don't hold anything against you but I just needed time to come to terms with the fact that I wasn't there for you when you needed me. More importantly, regardless of how in the right I believe myself to be... I never wanted my anger to turn toward you and for that I _am_ sorry."

"You're not upset with me?"

A small smirk formed. "No." He gave off a light chuckle, shaking his head as he looked to the floor once more. "I meant what I said that night after the club when I kissed you." Their gazes met once more, the memory, the intensity it held burning never more fierce. "I want you all to myself... all the time... every day, every night. I'm selfish when it comes to you and apparently fall whim to jealousy fairly easily." A sweet smile focused on him now, one which seemed to strip away the hesitation he felt. Stepping toward her he took her hand, pausing before he kissed it gently then refocused those eyes on hers. "I'm certain you wanted me to stand here and apologize for everything I said but I can't... that's just not who I am, and if I did apologize it would have been nothing but a lie." A smile tugged at the corner of his lips now and he brought a hand to her face, brushing a strand of hair from her jade vision; the intoxicating longing that surged through him at her soft touch was one he could not deny himself the opportunity to bask in before continuing. Swallowing hard against that lump within his throat he slowly brought his hands to her waist and drew her body into his as he lowered his lips to her rosy cheek in a desperate kiss. There was a brief silence before he rest his forehead against hers, allowing a heavy exhale to release. "I miss you."

Shit,... it was those eyes that drew her in. She was his the moment they originally found her gaze, and even more so now as they pleaded her acceptance; a fact she found most irritating yet somewhat intoxicating. There was no amount of further conversation necessary that needed to continue; both were instantly calmed now, but as Kori placed a hand against his strong chest the heavy air around them thickened in anticipation of further progression of his touch; a realization that he, himself, could not ignore.

"I'm glad you're here."

With a small amount of hesitation Richard brought his lips against hers only to be interrupted with...

"Really guys, I can leave if you... oh."

A smile played against their lips at the sound of Gar's voice which invaded that tranquil bubble they had slipped away to once more. Biting at her lip Kori brought her lips against Richard's once more before glancing over his shoulder at a severely nervous Gar.

"We'll be right there. Don't leave." Gar gave a confused, almost uncomprehensive nod before vanishing once more, a small giggle confirming the return of such privacy now. "Will you stay?" His eyes traveled over her expression in satisfaction but to her all she saw was hesitation, which immediately removed her from her confidence to request such a thing from him. With a nervous laugh she took a step back from him. "You don't have to. Gar and I are just watching a movie so if you wanted to go home ..."

"Shhhh..." he said, taking her into his arms, his head lowering into the crook of her petite shoulder as he lingered in a warm embrace; basking in her tantalizing scent and the emotion that settled over him at the warmth that consumed him while her small frame was within his arms. "Which movie?"

Her body succumbed to a heavy sigh coupled with a small laugh. "Its okay, you don't have to..."

"I want to." He said convincingly. "Come on... which one?" He hesitated as she remained uneasy against his gaze; something he never wanted her to feel when with him. Brushing a stand of scarlet hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear, he gave her a gentle smile. "All I want to do is spend Christmas Eve with my girlfriend and wake up Christmas morning with her in my arms." He paused moving closer to her, his lips slowly gracing hers before he pulled away slightly, their lips still brushing against one another's as he spoke. "Please tell me I'm not too late."

With a heated blush dominating her cheeks she took his hand, never more appreciative of him as he made no hesitation to intertwine his fingers with hers as she led them back to Gar.

They remained within the living room obliging to Kori's traditions in forcing interest in the holiday movie at hand but Richard would have had to have been naive not to realize she seemed less focused on the film and more attentive to the panicking trembling of her nerve induced hands. He had never meant to make her feel uneasy in his presence and had hoped his small speech would fix any and all uncertainty she could have but apparently she needed more convincing; which of course was not so simple with an awkward, chuckling Garfield Logan present who truly resembled that of a child being granted approval to stay up past midnight in anticipation for Christmas.

Richard turned his head to Gar who remained on the opposite couch of him and Kori and rolled his eyes; more out of humor than annoyance at this point. Gar sat legs crossed, elbows leaned forward on his knees, his large verdant eyes wide and glued to the television screen, random spouts of squealed laughter flaring now and again. This wasn't his main concern though, no, he looked back to Kori who was fidgeting with the seam of her dress; looking never more tortured by her swirling thoughts.

She couldn't help it, sure everything, all her issues and concerns about Richard had dulled but the dilution of negative emotion had not breached her ability to return to her comfortable behavior with him. In her mind all she saw was the anger encompassed in Richard's features when he was shouting back at her, and sure, dammit, she knew he had every right to be upset in that moment but it didn't make this one any easier. She noticed his consistent gaze on her several times but the fact he had yet to welcome her into his arms was one which only amplified her uncertainty. Of course, she knew she probably take into consideration the reality that Richard might have been holding back in regards to the fact that Gar was here but still...

Oh he looked ever so handsome as of now. His emotional gaze snapping back and forth between her, the television, and Gar; his tiresome features determined to remain awake and that missing steely voice she yearned to hear remaining in silence. She inhaled deeply, realizing the strength of her own body's struggle against exhaustion. It was as she released a yawn that her mind shook alert; Richard having taken this opportunity to lace a strong arm around her and pull her gently toward him. Her heart beat was exceeding even a fragment of stealth in this moment; its rapid pounding surely loud enough for Richard to become aware of her childlike emotions as of now.

Richard smiled to himself, the mere sight of Kori so drained and fighting her minds constant plea to shut those eyes of hers and fall whim to a night of rest, it was nothing short of amusing; in the best of ways. It was as another yawn sprung to life from her soft lips that he leaned toward her sending a kiss to her temple, one arm finding its way beneath her legs and the other stationed behind her back as he lifted her into his arms.

"We'll see you tomorrow Gar." He said, trying to fight that smirk which spread across his lips at the reality that Kori had made no attempt to question his actions, only gripping her arms around his neck securely as he carried her to the hallway.

When they were alone within her room, Richard leaned over her bed and set her small frame in the center, fully prepared to recede when her hold over him tightened. He released a laugh as Kori forced him into a hug, his body falling to the side in an attempt to avoid crushing her. Gaining his comfortable position beside her, he wrapped an arm beneath her head and coaxed her onto her side, her head resting comfortably against his chest.

"And here I thought you were tired." He chuckled.

"I'm sorry Richard. For everything."

He shook his head, a hand running the length of her curves; the action resulting in a trembling of her skin beneath his touch. With a kiss he said, "Don't worry about it Kor."

She shook her head with a heavy sigh, the tone of her guilty voice sparking laughter in Richard. "I called you an asshole."

"Yes... yes you did." He confirmed, his forehead against hers now. "That's okay."

"No I don't think that it is. I shouldn't have..."

She fell silent as his index finger met her lips in order to quiet her. When she obliged, looking up to him she felt herself melt against his smile. "Don't..." he kissed her cheek, his hand at her waist now as he pulled her into him ever closer. "... worry..." His purse progressed to her mouth as she remained ever submissive to his touch. "... about it."

Kori's eyes gave way at the presence of his hand which previously adored her cheek, now lowered to her chin as he tenderly arched her gaze to his before meeting her lips against his. This kiss... it was different, not because there was any lack of passion being exchange but rather that it was patient; eager yet delicate; slow yet not without their usual intense form of longing being delivered; a kiss that could easily have been more intense than their first. The seductive crawl of tantalizing sensation that developed over both of them as Richard positioned himself over her now, the kiss deepening ever desperately.

Now this, this moment, the one that could, at least for Richard, lead to a more heated exchange of touch which he, as well as she, both longed for but no... he wouldn't allow it. Again, he craved and anticipated the arrival of the moment when they did decide to take their affections to a more intimate level but he would not be the one to rush things. He cared too much about Kori and otherwise would rather hold off until he was absolutely certain his urges would not result in destroying this relationship he had with her; a relationship that he wanted more than anything he had ever needed before. Even as Kori dwelled peacefully yet addictively in response to his dire unsatisfied craving of her touch, to which she reciprocated as equally as desperate for him, he knew he had to hold back.

Her chest seemed to swell with undiscovered emotion of sharpened desire; a feeling never more insufferable to resist, especially as his hands wandered ever so courageously beneath her dress at her upper thigh. Then, all at once, everything came to a pause as he pulled away slightly, his gaze finding hers once more. There was a prolonged stare into one another's eyes before he lowered his head toward her once more, his nose brushing against hers sweetly. "Good night beautiful."

An insufferable tenseness fluttered within her stomach now as he positioned himself beside her once more, his strong arm laced around her waist as he situated her comfortably against him, a few more kisses to her cheek and neck before movement came to a halt inviting the night to take hold.

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"Wake up!"

No reply.

A small shuffling of sorts which lead to a harsh object being tossed to the side of Richard's head, instantly shaking him alert the next morning. With a violent curse reaching his lips, he turned to find a very displeased Rachel Roth glaring down at him; her darkened violet gaze tossing daggers in his direction. His mind wavered for a moment, the reality that Kori was no longer asleep beside him on the bed ringing disappointment to his morning instantly.

Rubbing at his tired eyes he returned his attention to Rachel, a small grunt escaping him as he raised himself to the side of the bed. "I thought you'd be dead asleep by now. Didn't you just get off of work a few hours ago?" He looked to the small alarm clock to his left. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the very same thing." Her tone testing, but he could really care less in this moment. The only thought was where Kori had run off too; not that it hadn't turned out for the best as a result of Rachel's intrusion. Richard paused as a newspaper was thrown onto his lap. "Care to give a little insight into what the fuck happened last night?" She paused, holding back the urge to unleash a fierce amount of fury curdling within her veins. At his silence, his careless expression lowering to the paper, a front page article detailing the events of what happened between him and Roy. "Care to explain?"

"Not really." He replied with a mere chuckle, discarding the newspaper to the nightstand and laying back upon the bed once more with a sigh.

"Are you kidding me Dick?" Rachel growled. She took a step closer to him, kicking a foot at his bare foot, successfully earning a grunt of discomfort from him. "You told me nothing was going on with you and Kori and now I discover this!"

Richard rolled his eyes, sitting back up again and knowing perfectly well Rachel had no intention of bringing her assault to a stop before she got the answers she sought. "I don't know what to tell you." They were caught in a testing glance now, Rachel in search of his guilt, and Richard determined to relay her obscene behavior as nothing more than ridiculous. "Look... Roy tried to force himself on Kori and I took care of it." He shrugged. "You should be thanking me, she's your friend; same as mine."

An unconvinced laugh proceeded as she crossed her arm, leaning back into the door frame now. "I'm not an idiot Dick. Even if I were... the fact that I work at the hospital... you know the place you personally put Roy in, is a dead giveaway that things aren't as they seem. I spoke to him ... he said..."

"What?" Richard growled, raising himself onto his feet now. "What did he say Rachel?" He rolled his eyes, helping himself to his shirt which lay on the floor beside him. "Merry fuckin' Christmas to you too."

Rachel shut her eyes with a small exhale to calm her, considering opting for the option of blaming her testing mood on her lack of sleep but knew far too well he wouldn't care. "I'm sorry." She sighed, overlooking his appearance now. "You look awful..." a laugh now. "... not as bad as Roy though." Her eyes narrowed as this brought laughter to him. "You put him in the hospital and while I'm pleased that he got what he deserved do you really think Bruce wasn't fucked over by your actions? He's had to deal with the press all night and morning."

"I wasn't exactly worried about the consequences at the time but I can't change what happened so I'd prefer it if we just... forgot about it. I'll explain myself to Bruce later and personally apologize to the public by the end of the week so..." he stepped to the door of the bathroom in which Rachel blocked its path. "Get out of my way."

"Kori isn't here if you're looking for her." She said, turning to face him as he entered the bathroom and gave life to the faucet of the shower in preparation.

"And who says I'm looking for her?" he chuckled.

His ability to sound so innocent, sport such convincing demeanor when Rachel was certain he was guilty of secrecy where Kori was concerned was unnerving, but she had no actual proof so she had no choice but to dismiss any further attention that could be drawn to this fact.

"Fine..." She let him be, quickly dismissing herself from the room but upon noticing Gar making his way out of the kitchen, coffee cup at hand, Rachel inwardly groaned. He had this eager look on his face that she knew only meant he was about to try to talk to her; yea that annoying talking thing he did was nothing but just that... annoying. "I'm going to head home and get some rest."

"Hey, wait..." he said, quickly placing his coffee on a table beside him and rushing after her. "I've actually been wanting to talk to you about..."

"Save it..." she said, a hand in the air, waving behind her at him dismissively. "I'd rather you didn't talk at all."

"I can see that." He persisted, his feet matching her pace as she entered out into the brisk morning. "I just..." Shit, she was never more intimidating than in the morning. "... I really think you and I..."

"No Gar."

"But if you would just..."

"I said no."

"I know but..."

"Stop!" She shouted, her death glare facing him now as she turned to him. "I said no so just leave me be. You know I have no interest in what you have to say so just..." She rolled her eyes, hating the fact she was slowly being drawn into his pathetically helpless gaze. "... just go away."

As she continued toward her car Gar scrambled after her; nervous as he was about to ask something he was certain could very easily expect a slap across the face for. "Dinner."

Rachel's entire body froze. She was a foot away from her car when that obnoxious squeal of a voice suggested what he had. Inhaling deeply she turned back to him, denying herself any amount of sympathy or hesitancy where he was concerned. "Dinner?"

A small smile broke, a hopeful smile. "Yea. You and me... just like old times. I just want to talk about..."

"Fuck you."

His brows burrowed, eyes narrowed, and all that magical amount of hope he managed to create... it all vanished. "What?"

She smiled now. "I said fuck you Gar."

"No." He shook his head, refusing her the right to dismiss him so easily. Sure thy had a past and it wasn't exactly on a good note, nor did it end well but that was the whole point of this moment. Couldn't she see that? "Rae..."

"Don't call me that. Don't you ever call me that again, do you understand me?"

He swallowed hard. This wasn't just a name, a pet name, it was a name he had been granted the privilege of addressing her as when they were together; a name she always smiled at. Apparently things had changed, correction, everything had changed.

"Rachel... I just want the chance to explain myself. Maybe... maybe if you just gave me the opportunity to talk with you, you'd see that..."

"That what?" She asked, the question ringing back with now amount of understanding or appreciation of his attempts. "I'd see what?" The volume of her voice ricocheted, attacking him more than once in intense shards of pure loathing. She stepped toward him, a finger aggressively directed at him. "I'd see how perfectly sorry you are for the past? How unimaginably different and grown up you are now compared to the piece of shit you were back then?" She laughed now, never more satisfied with the terrified look in his eyes. "For how long? How long would it last this time Gar before you disappear just like Kori did?"

"I didn't disappear Rae... you,... you pushed me away."

She swallowed hard. It didn't matter if that was true, in her eyes he left and that was all there was too it. She wouldn't allow herself to love him again. She never wanted that pain, that one that stung at her still to ever be given life once more.

"Leave me alone Gar. The holidays are over tomorrow so make sure your shit's packed and be out of here, out of Gotham, as quickly as you possibly can manage."

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"Hey man, you seen Kori?" Richard asked, his eyes focused down on his phone as he entered the living room. He could see Gar within the corner of his eye but had yet to realize the distress he remained in until his voice sounded.

"Yea..." he said with a heavy sigh. "She said something about going to the fair grounds."

With this, Richard's eyes went wide. Ha ha ha... right? He hadn't heard him correctly, of course... right? By the look on his face, apparently not. Swallowing hard he said, "Why... why would she go there?"

Gar shrugged, his thumb violently tapping at the tv remote as his cold gaze narrowed over the television. "How would I know?"

"What's with you?"

"Your cousin is just fucking impossible."

Richard sighed, officially realizing Gar's mood now. With the aid of a deep inhale which was meant to ease the rising tension within his aggravated mood, Richard tossed himself back upon the couch beside Gar. The only thing on his mind being the fair grounds. He couldn't go there, he couldn't face the memories that blotched his mind in black, sinister daggers but he knew Kori was only there as a result of him and after all... she was worth the pain wasn't she?

He ran a hand down the length of his face with a growl of frustration. "Shit."

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**(A/N) Woohoo, I updated... as late as ever. My bad. Anyway, apparently some of you were thoroughly confused and thought I was not continuing Conflicted Opportunity as a result of the two story options I posted but I assure you, if this update isn't confirmation enough that I'm continuing... I am. **


	16. Memories, Hot Tea, and Subtleties

**Chapter Sixteen:** Memories, Hot Tea, and Subtleties

"No... hold on a second... just... just wait a minute." Richard breathed heavily. "I don't think... no, I changed my mind. I can't do this."

He paused, his worried eyes finding Gar who stood beside him as they remained at the front fate of the fair grounds. He shook his head, the knot within his chest refusing any regularity within his stressed breath that only seemed to increase sharply. His lungs felt as though he were ingesting needle like whisks of air that upon intake denied any amount of exhale to rid the pain. He looked back at the towering gates, his left hand bracing itself against the metal bars for support as even his vision began to blink black spots. This was too much, he wanted to do this for Kori but now that he was here, starring his past right in the eye... it was met with unimaginable regret and fear. The sight of Gar observing his distress so loyal only added to Richard's frustration.

"Dude,... you don't have to do this. Just..." he paused, looking passed the front gates with a shrug. "Just wait for her back at Vic's place. She knows we're all having linner there."

Ugh, this moment was one in which he could not stomach in the very least. He... wait... what? Richard's eyes narrowed. "What the hell is linner?"

It was Gar's turn to look back at Richard with matched confusion. "You know it's that meal between lunch and dinner; not quite lunch but not late enough to be..."

"Alright alright... I get it." Richard breathed heavily. Rolling his eyes he straightened his posture, gazing into the winter wonderland before him. There was an instant of prolonged thought, peaceful memories recollected that had turned into vicious nightmares within his mind over time.

"Are you going to do it or..."

"Don't you have somewhere to be?" He snapped.

Gar shrugged. "I had plans on going after Rachel before you got all courageous about coming here of all places. I wasn't sure you'd be able to do it..." he sent a teasing smile as he slowly backed away. "... I guess I was right."

He quickly disappeared within the gathering crowd which seemed to accumulate quickly in front of him, leaving Richard to his own thoughts. He rolled his eyes, not foolish enough to fall for Gar's attempt at reverse psychology but knowing he had come here with the determination to do this, to find Kori, and he would... just give him a few more moments.

"Oh wow! You're Dick Grayson!" Came an innocent voice of a child whose pitter-patter of footsteps approached him eagerly.

Richard looked to the young girl, she seemed about maybe seven or eight years of age, the enthusiastic smile that stretched across her face beneath rosy cheeks seemed to lighten his mood.

"My sister has the biggest crush on you. You... you are so much more handsome in person."

With a laugh Richard looked to the child's mother who had rushed over, an embarrassed blush at her cheeks. "I am so sorry. She gets excited about little things."

Richard nodded, inhaling deeply as to restore composure, his attention brought to the child once more as she spoke. "My names Danielle but everyone calls me Dani..." Her smile amplified in excitement as Richard gave a light nod coupled with a sweet grin, still feeling somewhat incapable of words. There was a pause, the young girl glancing back to the fair grounds before returning her attention to Richard. "Are you looking for someone?"

Was he? Everything seemed a little cloudy right now. "Uh,... yea..."

"Oh perfect!" The child squealed, thoroughly startling Richard as she gripped his hand pulling him passed the large metal gates. "We are too. We can look together." Her rambling seemed to entertain his nerves, bringing that adorable memory of Kori's own rambling. "We're looking for my father, he was suppose to meet us an hour ago but we haven't seen him. WHo are you looking for?" She focused another smile back up at Richard, but left no room for his reply as she skipped through the crowd, her voice now finding a more dreamy state. "Are you looking for that red-head? The one the papers are always talking about? She's beautiful. Perfect for you. My sister says that you deserve better but I think she's just jealous that you're not with her which... in reality is strange because she's like fifteen and you're..."

"Honey,... really, leave Mr. Grayson alone." The mother scolded, trying to keep up with the two.

Clearing his throat Richard said, "Its fine. Really. She's right, we're both looking for someone." He smiled down at Dani's restored excitement. "There's no harm in looking together."

Forty five minutes. That's how long it took for Richard to get the courage to calm the storm howling within him long enough to interrupt the child Dani's persistent conversation. "So... who are you looking for again?"

In truth he was beginning to lose patience for Kori and where she possibly could be at this time but he knew the chances of finding her in this crowd were very slim as it were.

"My father..."

There was a nod in response, but upon realizing the discomfort on the suddenly speechless child, Richard said, "What's wrong?"

Dani inhaled deeply and with a shake of her head, her brown pigtails swaying back and forth at the action, she spoke once more. Although this time around her once energetic tone was replaced with a hint of despair. "He used to take me here, just me and him; my sister hated things like this, but every Christmas this was our tradition." Her voice plummeted further and as Richard caught a glimpse of Dani's mother's somewhat saddened expression, he realized this conversation was heading in a direction he wasn't sure he was comfortable with. "My mom takes me now." She continued, a forced grin sent to Richard before she returned her attention to the view in front of them of the ferris wheel. "I know he's gone but when I'm here... its like he's here to. I find his presence in our memories." A small childlike giggle sounded, but Richard was far from calmed by this. "We would ride the ferris wheel together, that being the first and last thing we always did, and while he isn't sitting beside me anymore..." Richard's eyes narrowed as Dani released a strong exhale, admiring the strength of such an innocent child. "... I see him in the sunset, I feel him in the wind,..." She found Richard's eyes once more with a far too believable smile for him to misinterpret her behavior as anything but happiness. "You'll feel _them_ too if you give it a chance."

Shit, this was the worst part about being in the public eye; everyone knew your story; there were no secrets where your live was concerned. Every amount of embarrassment and wrong decisions that he had made in the past weren't the problem, but this, right now, the pain and loss he had endured, this was difficult to be faced with.

He gave a hesitant nod no longer wishing to be apart of this conversation. He tried to busy his thoughts while scanning the surroundings, begging fate to send Kori his way in order to remove himself from this awkward vibe that remained unshaken, but all that took place was the resurfacing of those dark, clouded memories of the last time he had been here. Just as he shut his eyes to the world, his chest beginning to rise and fall in a hyperventilation of sorts, Dani spoke once more.

"Isn't that her?"

His eyes snapped open and yes, there she was, his beautiful red-head.

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"Its cool, just breathe... yea,... just be calm. She can't hate you forever."

An inward groan sounded from this undeniably foolish man we know and love as Gar. He stood, his scrawny arm lingering mid air, his bawled fists hovering an inch away from Rachel's apartment door. With each passing second of hesitation, his veins ignited in an increase of searing regret. He hadn't even made his presence known to the violet haired vixen and yet he felt as though her devilish red eyes were glaring at him already, stabbing at his bravery to which he was well aware she would deem nothing more than nonsensical audacity.

His shoulders scrunched forward, his face making more headway then his actual fist which had yet to knock. "Okay... I've got this. Just one knock and..." he paused, a small debate swirling within his skull as he began to argue among himself. "Its noon..." with this fact he moved away from the door, retracting his arm and pacing the narrow hallway. "... she's probably drinking tea and in the middle of a book." He grunted in disappointment, a hand scratching through his undone hair which scattered in every direction sloppily. "I always did have the worst timing. Pro's and Con's... Con: I'd clearly be interrupting her routine that I am well aware she keeps strict." He rolled his eyes. "Pro: She's always busy so no matter what time I choose I'd be interrupting something. Con: She hates my guts... like, really might even loath me. Pro: I made her love me once... maybe.."

"Would you shut the fuck up?"

Gar's forest green eyes widened, the awkward shrill of squeaking that arose from his sneakers as he turned to face Rachel was the only sound within the silence now. Scratching at his brow nervously, he gave off a childlike chuckle. "Hey Rae...chel." He cleared his throat. Rachel."

She stared at him narrow eyed for a long while, her body pressed into the door frame. "Look, I am a little busy but since I can't seem to ignore you and you're not even in my apartment..." she allowed a heavy exhale to progress, her eyes wandering up his figure in annoyance, leaving him to feel his existence shrinking beneath the blaze of her glare. "... you might as well come in and get this over with."

His mind stopped working at this point; no amount of comprehension breaking thorough to him. Did she just agree to speak with him? Mmmm, this seems too good to be true. The thought of whether or not he was dreaming seeming to swim passed his thoughts more than once now. This was obviously a trap.

"Are you coming in or not?"

Definitely a trap. His body remained stunned for a brief moment longer before stepping passed her and into her dark apartment. The air seemed thicker there, but not because of the nerves that consumed him at this point. No, it was a familiar to him, a scent he knew well...

"Ahh..." He laughed nervously again, pointing to the small trail of smoke rising from a bed of ashes within the center of a small table. "You still burn incense?"

The door shut behind them in a loud bang before Rachel faced him once more, ignoring his question all together. She studied his appearance once more, the hesitant creases within his expression that displayed none other then the reckless hope he always seemed to cling onto. With a roll of her eyes, him remaining silent, she made her way deeper into the living room, returning to her seat beside, as Gar had predicted, a book and cup of warm tea.

Crossing her legs on the couch she stared up at him again. "So?"

"Oh, right..." He replied quickly, the volume of his voice seemingly without control. Rachel was use to this in his instances of nervousness and found it somewhat cute, but no, there would be no feelings recognized that gravitated toward that direction of her past. Sitting on the couch opposite her, Gar said, "Alright so... I know you hate me, and I know that you think.."

"Subtle, Gar, very subtle."

"What do you mean?"

"I just... can we not do emotional? I meant what I said, I'm not interested in what you have to say but since I can't seem to shake you... what is it you really expect from me?"

"Uh... what do you mean?"

She rolled her eyes yet again, and act she found herself resulting too much more when in his company. "I mean, whatever you have to say, lets just pretend as though I become agreeable to your expectations..." her brow raised. "... what do you want from me?" As he remained in a state of confusion she let off an amused laugh. "Because if you think for one second that I would even consider being with you again or..."

"I'm not saying that."

"Then what are you saying?"

"I just... maybe we could start out as friends again."

Her brow arched once more. "Start out?"

He sighed. "Look, Rae..." Her brow quivered in annoyance at his nickname but he merely shrugged it off. "Once upon a time you were very important part of my life, the most important person for sure and... I may not be able to fix what happened with us in the past but I'd like to believe that we're..." he paused, this wasn't coming out right. "That our friendship, at least, is strong enough to revive itself. We're friends with the same people, run in the same circles and..."

"And after today?" SHe exhaled curtly. "Gar you live in an entirely different state. Am I suppose to just ignore that little detail?"

"I'd stay... I want to stay."

She hesitated. "If you want to stay then why don't you just stay? Why does this feel as though you're waiting for my approval?"

The tension in the air heightened now at Gar's continued hesitation, his eyes only sending waves of emerald confirmation back to Rachel.

"I don't know, Gar. Do what you want but I don't know that I can be friends with you, or that I even want to."

It didn't matter that she seemed contradictory, all he heard was a flame of hope spark. Situating himself closer to the edge of the couch, he rest his arms against his knees, a pleading smile of display. "All I'm asking is for a chance. Tonight, there's that thing at Vic's and..."

"Fine."

"Yea but Rae, just here me out. Its only one night and..."

"I said fine." She repeated with much more annoyance now, her mind instantly regretting this compromise, but a small part of her anticipating it. And, if she was being honest, she actually had to force herself not to return that childlike grin Gar now had focused on her.

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"Where is she?"

"Ryan?" Vic asked, his attention previously entertained by his adoring girlfriend Karen who jumped from his lap with a sigh.

"Ryan? Wally?" She growled, her hands at her hips as she glanced back and froth the two boys. "Doesn't anyone ever knock in this damn house anymore?" As they remained silent she scoffed off down the hallway muttering curses beneath her breath.

"So?" Vic asked innocently as he hurried himself into the kitchen to continue preparing the approaching Christmas dinner; the suspicious demeanor of his friends flashing warning within him.

"I haven't seen my sister for days... what she been up to? I saw the little outburst of Dick's anger on the news."

"I saw it in person." Wally said with an amount of laughter, Ryan immediately silenced with a glare. "It was... suspicious."

Vic rolled his eyes, mentally noting that Kori owed him for this conversation. "And? What's the problem?"

"Where is Kori anyhow?"

"And Dick?

Vic shrugged, motioning to the stove. "As you can see I'm a little busy to be playing mommy at the minute."

"Technically..." Wally began. "You're making the dinner so playing mommy is probably as close to what you're doing then..."

"Enough." Ryan growled. He focused on Vic once more. "Is she going to be here?"

Vic nodded, turning back to the stove and in a low mumble to himself said, "She better be."

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**(A/N) Alright so if this seems like a filler chapter... guess what... it is. lol Anyway, I had to make this because next chapter is super long so... yea.**

**Okay, off topic a bit but I really am surprised at the responses for the next story. As of now its tie which is strange because I thought for sure one would be liked better then the other but now IDK what to think. If you haven't voted... please do. R/R**


	17. Ahh The Holidays (Part 1)

Chapter Seventeen: Ahh The Holidays (Part 1)

It'll be fine, smooth sailing once they arrived. That's what Richard had promised but it was clearly not so. No, they had enjoyed a rough start to a highly anticipated Christmas morning but it seemed that while fun had managed to be had between this couple, Kori was certain it was all coming to an end. Sure, it was one thing to be thrown into a situation, crowded into a room among her highly suspicious and predictably judgmental behavior of her friends and family but that was before; before any actual relationship between herself and Richard had conspired, and truthful innocence could be conjured... things had obviously changed in the area of innocence now. And alright, fine, she felt somewhat at ease with him at her side, but the amount of affection and adoration for one another that would need to be suppressed within the company of their friends was not exactly something she was looking forward to.

Shit...

They walked passed the threshold to Vic's house, falling silent among the scattered echoes of conversation that dwelled within several different rooms within the home. Their footsteps crept without rush, hoping to avoid their presence being known for as long as possible. Now, in the end, it wasn't Richard who felt uneasy in this moment, no, for certain he could care less what the others thought about him and Kori being found, yet again, having disappeared with their beloved Kori. If he was being honest if not for Kori, he would have gladly upset their friends little suspicions with fact about their progressed relationship but... again, Kori would have preferred this route so here they were; pretending as though nothing had changed between them.

They found Vic first, in the kitchen with Karen arms crossed over her chest and a very aggravated look upon her face; one that vanished at the sight of Kori and Richard entering.

"Oh my God!" She shouted. Lowering her voice only at the cringe of Kori's uneasy demeanor that became increasingly apparent as they closed the proximity between them in an embrace. "Where have you two _been_ all day?"

Kori gave a weak smile, a brief shrug to Karen, and a warning glance having the sole purpose of otherwise being desired for Vic's eyes alone. "I... we just went to the fair grounds for a bit. Got coffee... I don't... nothing really eventful." She sent Richard a 'I don't really mean that' look before giving Karen a forced smile. "What about you two? What have you been doing?"

If not for Karen's extreme opinion on this matter she would probably have allowed that itching curiosity of what really went on, details and all, between Kori and Richard to be invesitgated, but instead she directed an unrelenting scowl to Vic, who merely shrugged it off. "Well... we spent our Christmas morning... here..." she looked to Kori again who gave a small giggle. "... as always." A heavy sigh only added to Karen's obvious disappointment as she leaned back into the counter behind her. "I thought perhaps because you were back in town we might... I don't know, mix things up a bit and actually do something fun... but no... this has been my day."

Kori made her way toward Vic, a quick side hug commencing before she turned back to Karen. "So... where is everyone? I mean... who's all here?"

Crossing her arms once more Karen brought a hand to her face, two fingers pinching at the bridge of her nose, her tone deflated now. "I don't know. You're number one fan Wally was the first to show." This earned a chuckle from everyone in the room aside from herself now. "Oh, and Gar and Rachel actually showed up together so... that's weird."

Kori and Richard shared an awkward glance, both having anticipated the absence of Rachel. "Oh... where... where is she?"

"She's here somewhere." Karen replied before falling silent against Vic's shouting once more.

"I told you to stir woman."

"It says to stir _occasionally_, not frequently so if you would stop freaking out and just let me..."

"No, I don't care what the directions say... I said to stir the damn thing so..."

Their argument trailed off, the vibration of their coarse words slowly fading as Richard reached for Kori's hand and pulled her out of the kitchen and into the living room.

"You okay?" Richard asked, well aware that her nerves had heightened at the mere mention of Rachel.

"Oh... yea of course."

"I really didn't think she'd be here. She said..."

"No it's fine. I know. I want her to be here it's just..."

"Hey you two!" Came Wally's exuberant voice as it barricaded them in the hallway. He looked to Richard with that reoccurring untrusting expression before weakening his mood against Kori's gentle gaze. Tossing an arm around her, he smiled. "Ahh, I've missed you my darling."

Kori rolled her eyes, hugging at him awkwardly now, fully aware of the tense shoulders of her suddenly quiet boyfriend. "What are you doing here so early? Karen seems to not have enjoyed your presence."

"Ahh, she'll get over it. We had a great morning here." He paused, noticing Richard quickly lose interest in their interactions and take to the living room. Pulling Kori along, Wally lowered his voice. "A little gossip you might care to hear." A smirk pealed across his face as Kori narrowed her eyes at him, her body facing his entirely, thoroughly interested. "_That's_ what I thought." He cleared his throat, checking to see that Richard was without ears reach of his words before proceeding. "Well, apparently,... Gar went to go see Rachel, who by the way wasn't suppose to show today, but after a long talk..." he shrugged, almost too enthusiastic for Kori, rather enjoying himself in this instant. "... _here_ she is."

"Great. The more the merrier." She said lifelessly, her eyes wandering to Richard once again; not really concerned with Wally's gaze which lingered upon hers. She was nervous about today, all that had happened, everything they had done with one another. Even though Richard seemed alright, happy even, Rachel and Gar was honestly the last concern on her mind.

"Yea well... any thoughts?" Wally nudged.

Kori's interest in Richard suddenly snapped at this comment, causing her to look to Wally in disgust. The only thing on her mind... was this how the others went about talking about her behind her back? Was it all a joke to them? Nothing more than juicy gossip? Was that all her life had been chalked up to, to them?

"Thoughts about what?" She replied, her words leaving a somewhat bitter tinge on her tongue, which must have shaken realization into Wally because his demeanor immediately stiffened.

"Uh... I was... I was just curious if you knew anything? I mean, are Rachel and Gar getting together again or...?"

The hand upon her hip now only relayed the message that not even Wally's childlike innocent to which he layered over his expression and tone could be sympathized by her. What was bothering her or why she seemed so testing in this moment was one that he took a mental note of.

"I don't _know_ Wally. Does it matter? I mean... it's their business _not_ ours."

Her snapping tone caught the attention of both Richard and Wally now, but she refused to relent in her far to obvious annoyance for Wally as of now. There was a small silent hesitant silence that even Richard felt uneasy against before Wally spoke again.

"Well..." he backed away slowly, making his way toward Richard in the living room. "She was asking about you earlier so..."

That awkward silence struck in full force once more as Kori nodded, quickly making her way down the hallway in the opposite direction.

"What the hell did you say to piss her off?" Richard asked, sounding more amused than the actual concern he felt.

Wally gave a careless shrug before tossing himself back upon the couch. "Who knows."

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"Are you sure?" Gar asked.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "I said it was fine didn't I?"

"I just... I thought..."

His voice was drowned out by the sound of an eager nod on the door beside him. With a heavy sigh to himself Gar looked back to Rachel with a lopsided grin. "Alright cool. I'll uh..."

"Come in, dammit!" Rachel growled at another knock.

Both heads turned to find Kori peak her head into the room with a closed mouthed grin. Inhaling deeply, Rachel waved Gar off getting him to immediately take his leave as Kori entered the room.

"Hey."

"Merry Christmas." Kori said innocently, her feet struggling to bring her to a normal pace as she cowered guiltily before her dear friend.

Rachel stared at Kori for a long while before releasing a heavy sigh, her eyes rolling in defeat more than aggravation. "Look..." The air in her lungs became thick as a result of the undesired words she was about to speak. "I'm... I'm _sorry_ alright."

Uh... what? Kori tilted her head to the side, her eyes glazing over in confusion as she peered down at Rachel in disbelief.

"I think I just hallucinated... what did you just say?"

There was a smug snort of a laugh that escaped Rachel. She knew if anyone else had said this to her she would most likely have become annoyed but she knew Kori and the mere twitch in her posture confirmed she was thoroughly confused and entirely unsure if she had heard Rachel correctly or not.

Closing the leather-bound book wedged between her fingers Rachel lifted herself from the edge of the bed in which she resided in and made her way to a seat opposite Kori. "I realize..." ugh, this was never easy for a normal person, having to admit they were wrong but this... this felt like torture. "Lately I've been really stressed with work and... the whole Dick thing is just... I'm sorry alright."

Oh, now that monotone, graveling voice of hers was beginning to ring with comprehension. Kori nodded, sitting across from Rachel in a neighboring chair. "It's fine." Her words drew from her without understanding until the room remained quiet long enough to replay her words within her own mind. "Wait... no... I don't mean that." She inhaled deeply, bargaining with her own mind for strength and courage against the curved brow that disrupted Rachel's calmed complexion. Rolling her eyes, she pointed a finger aggressively at Rachel's existence. "You have made me feel horrible these past few days... not to mention Richard. He doesn't deserve it and neither do I."

"Which is why I apologized."

"What, so because you're speaking with Gar again, _now_ the world is allowed to be free of your attitude and temper?"

That defined arched brow quivered in annoyance now. "What goes on between Gar and I is no ones business and... nothing _is_ going on between us so..."

"Really? Because that's not what I hear."

Kori smiled at her own words which seemed to ignite the perfect amount of annoyance she desired from Rachel in this moment.

"Why is anyone talking about me and Gar in the first place?"

"You don't like the way it feels do you? To have everyone talking behind your back about you."

Rachel stood now, welcoming Kori's challenge of clashing tempers. "Kori, we have _every_ reason to be concerned about you. We don't talk about you behind your back just for the sport of gossip, we do it because we _care_ about you. We have every reason to be worried where you're concerned and you know it."

Kori rolled her eyes, so over this reoccurring display of concern. "Look, I overcame my past but no one is willing to let it go. How can I move forward if you are all shoving me back?"

"We aren't shoving you back Kori. We're... we're just making sure the same mistakes aren't made again."

"Bullshit." Kori muttered beneath her breath, this discussion going nowhere.

Studying her deflated mood, Rachel sighed, a thought crossing her mind. "What about Dick? Have you told _him_ about your past? Does he know what happened?"

"He doesn't _need_ to know."

"Oh really? And why not? If you two seem so chummy together, he deserves to know." Kori shook her head, standing now herself and backing away from Rachel with a queasy look about her now. "The only reason you don't tell him is because you _know_ he'd stop being the one that keeps your secrets and he'd fall in line with the rest of us and do everything he can to make sure you're safe."

"I _am_ safe Rachel. I'm an adult I don't need ..."

"Yea, you don't need help? I remember the last time you said that to me... do you?"

Kori's eyes went wide against that blinding violet glare of omnipotence. This was true though, thinking back Kori knew Rachel's words held no amount of falsity in them; it was all true. With a second to dive back into her memories to the last time she had in fact told Rachel she was fine, had done everything to persuade her that she didn't need anyone's help... it was that day; the one that haunted her to this very day; the one that changed everything.

Swallowing hard Kori allowed herself to complete a full exhale, draining her mind and body of all the stress that had begun to feed off her insides as of now. Eyes shut she listened for a few seconds, waiting for the sound of Rachel returning to her seat to confirm that her mood was as relaxed as her own before she spoke.

"I don't... I _don't_ want to argue with you." She whimpered, not even bothering to look to Rachel as she lowered her head into her hands, her body lowering itself into her own seat as of now; never feeling the effects of exhaustion come over her so quickly. "Not today."

There was an even more lifeless drain of Rachel's' usual drone of a voice now as she replied with, "I know. Sorry."

Kori let off a small chuckle, peeking out between her fingers which remained over face, still hesitant to reveal itself fully yet never more thankful that she could count on Rachel to be accommodating to a change of subject without much deliberation. "So... what _is_ going on between you and Gar?"

There was a prolonged gaze that lingered between them; it began somewhat confusing then slowly broke the barrier of defensive demeanor and fell straight into unsuspecting laughter.

"I don't... I don't really even know myself what the hell is going on between me and that... ManChild." Rachel snorted. She crossed her legs within the small space available at the edge of her seat, trying to conceal the small involuntary blush that tickled at her cheeks, her pale hands swarming in circles as she tried to elaborate her thoughts which were a mystery even to her on this subject. "He's... _annoying_ as hell but he always seems to find a way to get me to agree to..."

"Oh..." Kori interrupted with new-found enthusiasm; her position on the chair teetering closer to the edge now, her hands clapping twice before she laced her fingers and brought them to rest beside her cheek. "Are you to going out now?"

"No!" Rachel snapped back quickly, practically offended by such an accusation. "No way. I just..." She narrowed her eyes feeling impatient in relation to Kori's small squeals of anticipation and elated giggles that screeched passed her rosy lips. "Oh fine... I..." Great... did she really want to admit to this? Definitely not, not even she enjoyed having to think this truth let alone speak it. "I agreed to..." her eyes clasped shut, the anticipation of Kori's far too excited reaction to her words and the suffocating emotion that would hit her was enough to make her even reconsider her agreement with Gar. Her teeth were scrapping down upon each other in a fight to devour any attempt at words but they surfaced regardless. "... to dinner." Her eyes widened once more as Kori jumped from her seat with an even louder squeal. "_One_ dinner. It's just one dinner. It's not a big deal."

"This is the best Christmas ever." Kori giggled, tossing herself back upon the bed. True, she would have given anything to wrap her arms around her dark rooted friend at the discover of such great news but knowing the lashing of attitude that would follow brought her happiness to a more diluted resination. "I can't believe after all this time you two are..."

"No... no... no..." Rachel interjected, the shaking in her voice was almost undefinable in emotion to Kori.

She looked to Rachel with narrowed eyes but the vision of her friend shaking her head so feverishly, her tongue lashing out curses beneath her breath only added to her confusion. Surely, Rachel had opened up about Gar, having offered up this information to her willingly because she was somewhat excited about it... right?

"No... no, no, no... I _never_ said that. I never said we would..."

Kori smiled to herself, Rachel's words dissolving in her mind as the denial and deflective behavior continued. Kori had seen this attitude pasted across Rachel's attire before; there was no doubt now, once again Gar had infected her life, latched onto her veins with his awkward charm, clutching tightly on that fragment of muscle which would be referred to as Rachel's heart; it was all beginning again. What could be better than a distracted Rachel as of now? ... probably nothing.

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"I just don't understand." Richard sighed. "She was fine with me all morning. What could you have said to..."

"Drop it man."

It was now that the annoyed attitude that Wally seemed to have solely for Richard came into realization. "What... what the hell is bothering you?"

Wally looked to him with a glare. "Did you even bother to visit Roy in the hospital?"

This made him laugh now. There was no way Wally was serious. Then again, ... his laughter had only caused a deeper crease to form across his friends forehead.

"Man, it's one thing to put him in the hospital and entirely another not to care if he lives or not."

"He'll be fine. I spoke to Rachel about him." This was true, although the information was forced upon him rather then having asked out of concern.

"So this is how you treat your friends? What did Roy even do to you? I mean,... I think I owe you money from last year... you gonna beat the shit out of me too?"

"Fuck you Wally. You don't know what you're talking about."

"Really? I don't? Well... something tells me it's about the jealousy you have for Kori. Did Roy get in the way of your..."

"Shut your damn mouth Wally. Roy tried to force himself on Kori and if you don't like the way I handled it ... I could really care less." There was a curt exhale that escaped Richard as Wally's eyes went wide. "I take it you didn't know that little detail... and apparently it makes a difference?"

Wally swallowed hard. "Man I'm... I'm sorry. I should have known it's just... I've been spending a lot of time with Ryan and he's ... he's really hesitant about you around his little sister."

"You know... you don't have to refer to her like that." He replied with a roll of his eyes. "I _know_ Kori's his younger sister and if you're trying to guilt me into..."

"I'm not. I ... I don't know what I'm saying. I just think Ryan is a little tense about the situation and I'm sort of relaying it to you in his words I guess. You know he used be your friend... remember that?"

Richard sighed. Of course he remembered. Of course he realized that Ryan's friendship as it coincided with his own was a situation he was avoiding but ... still. Oh and of course he was aware that he had done nothing but practically screamed his feelings for Kori in Ryan's face, for all the time he had spent with Kori was usually time spent with Wally and Ryan but that didn't make him regretful. He would give anything up to spend one last minute with Kori, and the whole scene of everyone trying to make him feel guilty about it was one that was getting rather old.

"Can we just move on. I'd rather not talk about Ryan and his clashing anger."

Wally gave a light nod. "Sure but... I'm just warning you." This caught Richards' attention for another ten seconds. "He made it very clear to me that he had every intention of speaking to you about Kori... in private." He shook his head with a heavy exhale. "And he didn't seem to pleased about..."

"I get it." He said, waving Wally into silence. "Ryan is my last concern alright." He gave a confident shrug. "I think I can handle him."

"Hey guys."

Richard and Wally, who still remained on the couches within the living room turned to find Gar prancing into the room. The two exchanged a suspicious glance before returning to observe the perky behavior of their friend Gar who had not been himself or even sported his usual goofy mannerisms until... well, now.

"Ahhh... the food smells great." Gar breathed with a slow exhale, leaning back into the furthest couch, unaware of the eyes on him as he enjoyed the weightless feeling that developed over him. Placing an arm behind his head and propping his head up against it, he kicked off his shoes, leaving them to fall to the side of the couch. "Merry Christmas everyone!"

"And what has you all giddy?" Wally finally asked, the vision of an angered Rachel coming into his mind and only confusion setting in at such happiness that could ever be relatable to Gar.

"Nothing, dude. Just... relaxing." His comfortable position suddenly faltered at the sound of Richard's unconvinced chuckle that broke the following silence. Turning to his side within the couch Gar allowed his childlike grin to snap across his face. "And what about you?"

"Me?" Richard asked, his laughter dying out upon the discovery of Gar's mischievous expression.

"Yea you..., what did you and Kori do today? What has _you_ in such a good mood lately?"

He shrugged, noting that Gar would need a good smack across the face for putting him in such a scenario that drew Wally's suspicions back into full flare. "I don't what you're talking about. Kori and I are just friends."

"Are you sure? I'm only saying that you just broke up with your girlfriend and you've been in a surprisingly bright mood." Gar shrugged with a chuckle, a satisfied exhale leaving him as he turned away from Richard. He wasn't one to throw anyone under the bus, especially if it directly affected Kori but this wasn't Kori, it was just two friends giving each other a hard time. "It just makes one wonder is all."

"He's right..." Wally piped up from his place beside Richard. "You do seem... _totally_ fine with Babs being gone."

Richard's jaw set, his eyes piercing holes into the side of Gar's face which refused to acknowledge him and endure the scowl Richard had designed just for him in this instant. "Don't worry about me." He brought a hand to rest on Wally's shoulder in a hard pat. "Worry about yourself."

Wally nodded carelessly, seemingly having dropped the subject all together. "Well, since you're single you have to hit the clubs with me." He motioned to Gar. "You should come too."

Gar shrugged. "When are you going?"

"Uh... tomorrow."

"I've got plans." Gar said proudly, Rachel being the vision in his mind now.

"Me too." Richard mumbled, he hadn't confirmed any plans beyond tonight with Kori but he assumed with it being his last day off before he returned to work that she would be easily persuaded.

"Dammit! Everyone is busy tomorrow." Wally growled, looking down at his phone now. "Vic can't go cuz of Karen, Gar can't go basically because of Rachel, even though neither will admit it, and you can't go cuz... I don't know why. Garth is busy with Kori and Ryan..."

"Woa woa... what?"

Wally's body shook slightly at the dominating voice of Richard that barreled down at him, the glare he found from those piercing blue eyes not making it any easier to find words. "Uh..." he looked to Gar for a solution. He hadn't said anything worth such a violent reaction had he? "What did I say?"

It was now that Gar looked to Richard with a sympathetic shrug. "I don't know man, she hasn't said anything to me."

"What the hell is going on?" Wally asked.

Richard stood, a hand at his side as he began to pace the room. "She's not going to that still... is she?"

The question was meant for Gar but before anyone could speak, Vic's loud voice sounded announcing dinner being finished and requesting everyone's presence at the table.

Both Gar and Richard opened their mouths to protest but Karen spoke next.

"Everyone at the damn table..." her eyes hardened over Richard who was ready for an argument. "Now."

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**(A/N) The poll for Dl Vs CB will end tomorrow so please vote if you haven't. R/R**


	18. Ahh The Holidays (Part 2)

**Chapter Eighteen: Ahh The Holidays (Part Two)**

A vicious circle... a vicious circle containing seven bodies scattered around a large table within the dinning room which remained in silence, this is the situation as of now. It began with Vic at the head of the table, his gaze avoidant of any prolonged eye contact that could lead to conversation, and beginning from his left was Karen; annoyed and thoroughly over the tension that hung heavy in the room. Then, wrapping around continued with an eager Wally, who seemed more interested in partaking in the tantalizing food layered out over the table before them then the awkwardness that hovered. Then we meet with Gar and his hopeful eyes that ignored the narrow sight of Rachel who glanced back at him from across the table uncertain if this attempt at friendship in which she had agreed to be accommodating to was worth it. Beside Rachel was Ryan who had practically surfaced out of nowhere, his suspicions set entirely on the careless demeanor of Richard who resided only a seat away from him, the empty seat separating them, belonging to Kori of course who had stepped away to use the restroom; her absence leading to this somewhat bitter silence until now.

"Sorry, I'm back." Kori giggled, situating herself between Richard and her brother now. Her once perky eyes flickered across the table, meeting everyone's gaze briefly before the undeniable awkwardness set in. "Oh..." She cleared her throat, resituating herself within her seat, finding it ridiculously uncomfortable all of a sudden. "So..." She looked to Vic who seemed to have an irked twinkle in his eyes as they snapped back from her to her brother, then to Richard and back to her once more in a hurricane of uneasiness. Inhaling deeply she forced a smile. "Everything looks delicious Vic, thank you."

It was now that an uproar of 'oh right, thank you Vic's' came into play, a brief shuffling from each of the members sitting at the table now.

Vic gave a distracted nod. "Well... tradition is tradition." His features softened and his gaze set on Kori one more. "It's great to have you back Kor. The holidays were never the same without you."

A sea of endearing grins stared back at her; the tension taking a pause as everyone made their attempt to extend their gratitude for her return.

"Thank you. I'm... I'm really glad to be here too." She struggled against her breath.

It took a few moments, but eventually the uncomfortable vibe had began to dwindle away was replaced and otherwise dominated by memories past. Laughter was the goal here, and it was laughter that was achieved. All their issues with one another, everything that seemed to trouble them as individuals merely vanished this night. It was no longer about the differences and judgement that swirled between this group on a daily basis but rather the gratitude and appreciation they had for one another. Even Kori found herself, while having been out of the loop for the past two years, she was completely at ease; almost as if she had never left.

Rachel was laughing again, Gar was smiling with his true smile; the one usually only found when in the loving embrace of a certain violet haired, temperamental vixen. Vic was never more enthusiastic about having Kori back, their friendship having an actual restoration in the making, and Karen just happy to see that Vic was getting back to his old self as a result of Kori's presence. Now, Richard seemed somewhat quiet, but Kori was quickly learning that this was his normal behavior, and it was only on certain occasions that he really spoke up at all. It was interesting to seem him so faded into the background but she knew it was only a result of the company they were in; had it been just them two... she knew he would have been more outspoken. He sent her smirks now and then, longing glances, and ever so often when he was certain no one was looking, his hand would find its way to hers; if only for a moment. Wally was his crazy self, and Ryan was never more thrilled to have his sister back.

But of course, all things will eventually come to an end... queue tension...

"So what were you doing today when I called you?" Ryan asked, the clanking of forks as everyone began finishing up with their food suddenly paused.

Would it be out of the question to opt for honesty? At this point, the scowl on her loving brother narrowing over her instantly striking that option out of the books. Kori shrugged one shoulder, averting her attention from Ryan at all cost. "I was around. What about you guys?" She glanced around the room once more. "How did everyone else spend their Christmas?"

"Better then Roy is?" Wally said, instantly drawing the attention of everyone within the room.

"I never thanked you for dealing with Roy for me," Ryan said, his voice less thankful and more suspicious; causing Kori to shrink in her seat as he and Richard finally acknowledged one another. "Thanks."

Richard gave a light shrug. "No problem." Ryan's body tensed as Richard sent a sweet smirk to Kori who suffered through a deep blush now.

Now, Gar may have been far too interested in ensuring Rachel was comfortable in his presence but at this instant, upon noticing the glare Ryan had set ablaze on Richard and the emotion that Kori was drowning in, he asserted himself. "Do any of you remember the Christmas we had four years ago?" There was a pause as everyone receded into their thoughts, trying to file the memory from their mind before Gar continued. "It was the first official year we had spent somewhat separated."

"That was the year Wally, me and Karen spent time CHristmas with Dick." Vic added, the reality of this truth striking curiosity within both Kori and Richard now, especially when Vic looked to Kori. "It's strange to think that you two could have met that night but never did."

"That's right," Rachel added. "Gar and I were suppose to meet up with all of you but Kori was dealing with Komi showing up unannounced and her and Ryan were in this huge argument that..." she sighed. "... that ended very..."

"_Very_ violently." Kori laughed. She placed a hand over Ryan's who had cringed at the mention of their other sister. "Komi could really throw a punch."

"Yea, and you could really take one." Ryan chuckled.

"Hey!" Kori snapped defensively, the table breaking into a unison of laughter once more at her expense. "I got a few good shots in myself and..." she suddenly became saddened by the memory. "Komi was... had every right to be upset."

"Well its only because you tried to steal her boyfriend." Wally said, earning a brow raise from Richard.

"That isn't true."

"Oh sure it is." Karen snickered, sending a foot to kick at Kori's who only rolled her eyes in response. "What was that guys name?"

"I don't know, but the point is that I never tried to..."

"You slept with him didn't you?" Vic asked, knowing perfectly well he was the only one who truly knew that she had.

Kori's eyes widened, and she could feel the burning sensation of Richard's uneasy gaze on her. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear she gave off a weak chuckle. "Uh... no."

"Yes you did. You told me about it and everything." Rachel said in an actual laugh now that exceeded her usual limitation of more than three seconds. Wait... okay so maybe she was drunk and spouted the truth off to more then one person. Ugh, this dinner is looking a little less elegant for her now.

Kori's face beamed red. "Uh... alright so I did, but... you guys don't know the real story. The guy was with me before Komi tried to steal him, and..." She rolled her eyes upon noticing a very annoyed look from Richard who was trying to keep his eyes down at this plate. "Oh look at the time... should we do presents?"

Gar paused, his attention directed down at his phone mid chuckle. "I think I still have the Christmas picture on my phone." His shoulders raised and his eyes went wide as he faced the phone to Kori's vision. "You're busted lip and all."

Kori suddenly felt queasy and she stood. "Presents?"

Everyone else stood now, following her into the living room, snickering and laughter being their theme music of the moment.

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"Hey Kor... " the sound of an older brothers voice as it found its way in such a stern manner was enough to cut the laughter right out of the room. Kori turned to her brother, trying to mask her lack of natural composure beneath Ryan's sharp gaze, the room falling quiet, Richard who sat beside her created more distance between them as he leaned back into his seat, all waiting for Ryan to continue. Clearing his throat he did the one thing Kori had wished he hadn't; he lowered his attention to the floor, a hand at his waist and his voice jabbing seriously into the thick air. "Can I have a word?"

"Yea,... uh, just... just give me a quick sec." She began, her body turning back to her drink at the table before jumping at his persistent voice once more.

"Now, please. It'll just take a minute."

The feeling of fear somewhat struck her and yet she wasn't entirely sure why. I mean, who cares what Ryan's opinion on her life and choices is, right? Well regardless of the fact that Kori had tried to convince herself that this was so... it simply wasn't. She'd be fulling only herself to deny the reality that she longed for Ryan's approval and yet it always seemed just without reach. With a deep inhale she gathered her bearings and tried to sneak a small reassuring smile to Richard whose demeanor had otherwise taken a more defensive stance.

"I'm coming." She answered quickly, her feet carrying her unwillingly to her brother who remained in the doorway.

Before Ryan could pull her deeper into the hallway she happened to peak a look back at Vic who up until now, his reaction to all of this had gone unacknowledged. What she found in her best friends usual comforting brown eyes was anything but comfort, no, it was just a glimmer of sympathy for the conversation she had now become aware that Vic knew what Ryan seemed so rushed to discuss with her.

As the two continued down the hallway, Gar listened for the fading of their footsteps before he let off a whistle which quickly lost pitch into the silence; spawned only to draw attention to the obvious awkwardness that hovered. Everyone remaining looked to him narrow eyed but he was far to used to being scowled at as a result of his behavior to make room for caring. Lacing his fingers together, he leaned forward. his elbows against his knees and his head shaking slowly. "That _can't_ be good."

"It's probably nothing. Don't worry about it." Rachel said, a small amount of guilt hitting her at the words Kori had brought to her attention earlier; you know, the ones about having all of them, the ones in this very room, talking about her when she was not present. In most cases it would be necessary but that just wasn't so simple; this on the other hand was irrelevant. Not that anyone else would agree with her; no, they were all geared up for the possibilities this gossip could lead to.

"Do you think its something to do with Komi?" Karen suggested, looking to Vic for an insight to which he merely shrugged at.

"It could be. Christmas was always Komi's thing. I don't know."

"Nah, I think it's probably about Richard." Wally added, earning a turn of heads. The attention of everyone in the room flickered from Wally to Richard and remained there, expectantly.

Richard paused, seriously considering letting it all go, but that would make his darling red-head less than pleased so he decided the best option would be to grin and bear it. "What?"

Now, he knew Rachel was too wise to his ways to believe his attempt at innocence and lack of understanding to what Wally could possibly be referring to, but he was thoroughly surprised when the others remained firm in this attempt at answers as well.

"What?" He repeated. He wasn't going to give in that easy.

Expecting Rachel to be the first to burst with questions, Richard was stunned again as Gar spoke. "I just hope you have good intentions."

Alright, now this angered him. This would be twice in one day Gar had tried to put him on blast. He had to literally fight his body's natural reaction to arch his brow in surprise; literally to the point where he had to lift a hand to his forehead, rubbing at it slightly in a false amount of a headache, one that was quickly rising further from nonexistence.

"I don't even care to know what you can mean by that Gar."

Perhaps it was the carelessness in his voice that seemed to strike Rachel's interest but she managed to somehow pick up on the underlined amount of frustration for this discussion. All it took for Richard to realize the tension in the room rise was the shifting of Rachel within her seat. He actually found himself swallowing hard as she took her usual, defensive posture and cocked her head back as if she had actually been hit in the face with his reply; as if only his words could give such an epiphany of realization.

"Wait, I..." she let off a curt exhale, her head shaking in disbelief. "I've asked this several times but... is there anything going on between you and Kori?"

Richard remained quiet, but had successfully injected his expression with the definable look of annoyance and rejection that his words would give.

That is... until he had to endure that agonizingly slow turn of Rachel's head as it focused on Gar now. Great, the only two people in this room were aware of Kori and his relationship and Rachel just had to be able to read straight through one of them.

"Gar? Do you _know_ something I don't?"

Richard rolled his eyes, noting absentmindedly that Vic's shoulders tensed at this question. Who cares? Fuck it all! That's the thought process as it represented itself in the fabric of reactions going on in Richards head. Now, while his mind may have been telling him one thing, his glare was narrowed on Gars, demanding an entirely different thing.

Don't say anything, Gar. You do... and we'll see how well your secrets are kept.

Gar released a nervous chuckle of sorts, the small nerve induced sweat beading across his forehead practically giving Rachel her answer, but she remained quiet. "No. I mean,... I don't know anything." His voice cracked slightly, taking to more of a squeal now as he scratched at the back of his head. "Nah,... I'm always the last one to hear everything." He glanced around the room with a heavy gulp. "Does anyone else know something we don't?"

Vic shot Gar a 'oh you're going to regret that' glare for directing the heat to him, before clearing his throat. "I think we should just leave Kori's business to Kori and get on with our own damn lives." He stood, a forced stretch occurring as his voice lightened slightly. "Dick, you wanna help in the kitchen for a minute?"

With a quick nod from Richard, both stood, leaving in the others to themselves with a sour expression and a bitter taste in their mouth's. Both were anticipating the next time they could be alone with Gar... if only to shower upon him their brotherly affection that took closer to the lines of violence.

"That was weird." Wally added, dissolving the awkward silence as he took to a more interesting activity on his phone.

"Right...?" Gar said partly in relief and the other half out of hesitation that lingered with the silence.

"I don't know..." Karen said, looking to Rachel suspiciously,. "There is definitely something going on with those boys that they aren't telling us. Didn't you say Kori took Dick to the fair grounds this morning?" Rachel nodded, Karen shaking her head in confusion. "They sure have been spending a lot of time together."

Rachel sighed, uncertain how she felt about all this information but finding that Gar was a more pressing subject on her mind;... not that she was even remotely close to considering a continued relationship with him... not ever. *cough*

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"Do you remember that Christmas we..."

"Stop. We need to talk."

Kori turned to her brother with an uneasy gaze. So much for trying to ease their way into the conversation calmly, no, he had to begin it with obvious distaste. After a set of understanding nods, the two stepped into the room they had chosen at the end of the hall and settled themselves within the luxury of a small table within the corner.

Crossing one leg over the other Kori did her best to seem completely stunned by such a desire for Ryan to wish to speak to her alone, and yet the beating of her heart as it increased in rhythm in response to Ryan's judgmental gaze was one that was hard to ignore.

"This... I'm sure you're thinking this is about Dick but... it isn't." Wow, that seemed to let a little steam off her mind. Which only lasted the few seconds it took to realize that if this cause for such disturbed and emotional behavior from her brother was not out of suspicions between her and Richard... then what could it be? "This is about... something else; something far more important. It's a few things actually."

"Just get on with it Ryan. You're beginning to make me worry."

Ryan sighed, a hand grazing through his hair before he found his voice once more. "I ... this is about Komi."

Geeze, who would have thought one word, one name could conjure such a severe reaction within Kori. Her insides tensed instantly, a sharp pain striking her chest that made it almost impossible to satisfy the demand of oxygen her lungs needed. Komi... oh Komi... now that was a subject she was not prepared to be thrust into conversation about. Her mouth remained agape as her mind stalled to a halt, clear thought falling short of achievement. Even as Ryan spoke again, the only movement she could muster was the unrelenting urge for her eyes to meet the bedroom door; a door she would give anything to will herself to flee to.

"I know we haven't really had a chance to talk about her... or... and I haven't really even taken the time to see how you're handling everything but ..." he paused, studying her hesitant demeanor now, knowing he had upset her mood entirely which was not his intention but... "Look, I've been thinking and maybe it would be a good idea if you stayed with me for a few days. That way we could sort out all the..."

"Why?"

"What?" He asked, more confused than anything. He half expected her to cry and be thankful at his effort to discuss their sister.

Kori swallowed hard, the lump in her throat resisting any and all attempts beyond this action. Her nerves were tingling with the fiercest sensation of direct pain, one she wasn't sure existed up until this point, and there was surely no ignoring its intensity that continued to consume her. Hugging at herself now, she shifted in her seat, having to exhale slowly, very slowly, depleting her lungs of all oxygen before resuscitation of her thoughts could be gripped.

"I..." Damn, would there ever be a time when her shaking voice could ever be masked in instances of emotional turmoil? It was beginning to become quite frustrating to have her feelings so exposed. She licked at her lips, keeping a consistent avoidance of eye contact; the thick carpet beneath their feet never more fascinating to her concentration. "I ... why? Why do care? Why are you bringing this up? Why now?"

"Kor,..." that strong voice finally receded into a more understanding tone. Extending an arm toward her in an effort to comfort her shaking hands now, he jerked his head back as she stood, turning away from him. "Kori of course I care. This has just been really difficult. Losing Komi..."

"Difficult?" She laughed, her vulnerable emotions being set aside for a more dominating display of rage that boiled beneath her skin. She turned back to Ryan in disbelief, unaffected by his wide-eyed and horrified expression at her hostile behavior that took charge. "Difficult, Ryan? You don't know what difficult is? Difficult is having to learn that your sister was killed in a car crash through a voicemail left on your phone that went unnoticed because you were so busy. Difficult is having to show up at the coroner's office and confirm that the mangled body they pulled from the wreckage of the car crash _was_ in fact your sister."

"Kor..."

"Difficult is having to endure a lonely plane ride back to your hometown and not just face the horrors and demons of your past that are sure to linger but also to have to attend a funeral in which no one else showed up for... not even her own brother." She swallowed hard, her voice calming from its infuriated tone. Breathless, harsh, bitter air scraped passed her lips only adding to her discomfort. Forget about the annoying shaking of her voice, no, the tears that had begun to fall relentlessly and smearing with a sensation like acid down her flawless cheeks, the sharp pain within the heart of her throat that worsened with each syllable spoken, the abandonment of her hearts ability to sustain regularity... it was all too much for her to handle. Shaking her head she took an aggressive step toward her brother, a finger directed down at him. "You don't know what difficult is Ryan. So don't sit there and preach to me about how hard this was for you. You were the one who wasn't there for me... for Komi." She placed her hands out at her sides with a helpless shrug. "I've been here."

I'm sure you've heard the saying... the tension in the air was so thick you could cut it with a knife... well, each of her words did this, each word dousing Ryan with a heavier weight of guilt that in truth belonged to him.

"I'm sorry."

With a giggle breaking through her sarcastic laugh, Kori nodded, wiping at her drenched face. "I bet you are."

"I don't know what to say."

Of course he didn't. He never was one to own up to his mistakes willingly, an explanation for such things would need a miracle to take place. Either way, Kori was done with this conversation. "I would have preferred you hadn't done this... not today... not at all."

"I said I was sorry Kor." He continued as he stood. "I... I didn't know how to handle all of this. I didn't know where you were. I felt like losing Komi I had lost everyone."

"I was still around."

"Around? Yea, you keep saying that, but what good is you being around if I never see you? Kor, we used to be so close, nothing could..."

"I don't want to hear this. You want to be close again? That's what you want? Then back the fuck off, Ryan." She shook her head, stepping toward the door. "Leave Richard alone too, unlike you, he's actually been there for me when I needed him."

Ryan sighed in defeat. "I spoke to Rachel..."

This brought her feet to a halt; not so much about curiosity as it was at accused audacity. She turned back to Ryan wide-eyed. "If you..."

He waved his hand dismissively. "I'm just concerned. I asked her to check your file and see if..."

"What?" She shouted, which only caused him to raise his voice.

"I was concerned about your well-being and it turned out I had every right to be. Since when don't you take your medication anymore?"

This was it... this was enough to send her over the edge. How dare him, how dare Rachel, how dare any of them even attempt to invade her privacy like this. "This is bullshit."

"How long Kori? Rachel said her records show over a year that you haven't refilled your prescription and..."

"Fuck you." Kori snapped, her palm striking her brother across the face, forcing him into silence. Her every nerve was blistering from the incessant trembling now. "I haven't taken it because I don't need it. You make it sound as though I'm some sort of mental case and I'm not. I was depressed that's why I was on the medication; not because there was something wrong with me."

"Then why did you stop taking it if you know you needed it?"

"Because I don't need it anymore!" She laughed now, actually feeling somewhat insane as she did so. Why did everyone make her feel crazy when she knew she wasn't. "Look... depression pills are for the depressed. I wasn't anymore so I stopped taking them, besides they made me sick half the time and..." she paused stepping to the door once more. "I don't know why I'm even explaining myself to you. You deserve no amount of explanation."

"I'm sorry. I really am I just want to make sure you're fine. Whenever I see you, you seem down, well, depressed and..."

"I only feel horrible when I'm around all of you. When I'm by myself I'm perfectly fine." Not entirely true but still, not enough to need medication the way she once did. "Our parents died and I couldn't handle the pressure, that's the only reason those pills were given to me and..."

"The only reason? I think we both know that isn't true."

"Stop." She took one last look at him before slamming the door in his face.

"Where's Richard?" She asked, as she entered the living room, all eyes instantly wide as they met her distress. "Where?"

"Uh... the kitchen. Are you al..."

She rolled her eyes, making her way to Richard before the sentence could even be finished. She was in no mood for concern. Not one bit. This was so typical of Ryan... she was the one who disappeared but he would always be the one missing when he was needed, and furthermore, he was the first to bail; never one to admit to his wrongs as he was far too busy pointing the finger at her. She knew she wasn't crazy, no matter what anyone tried to get her to believe. In the past she would question her decision to get off her meds but she had confirmation that she was perfectly sound, the confirmation taking the form of a fading smile belonging to the one person she was coming to realize she needed. The one person that made her feel normal.

"You okay?" Richard asked, his hands cupping at her face as his eyes trailed over her expression in concern.

She nodded, gripping one of his hands. "Can we go?"

"Of course."

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**(A/N) Okay so this is part two of the three-part holiday situation which I realize is a little long but if it isn't obvious already, I have a habit of taking a long time to tell a story so...**  
**Also, I'm going on vacation as of tomorrow so I wont be back for a week so I will hopefully get the chance to update one last time before I leave, keep an eye out for it. If not... I'll see you in a week. And remember... R/R**


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